Follow your passion!

Dear everybody,

This time I want to write my blog in English because I think that I can reach and encourage more people with my stories when I write in English. What is not easy for me, so forgive me when it is not grammatically correct. (By the way; this is the second time I write this blog, the first time my phone stopped so I can start again from the beginning) (By the way #2; it's better for my English to do it twice)

It's more than a week ago that I wrote my last blog but there is so much going on here that I nearly have time to write my blog. I can't believe it is already February, the time is flying for me..

Last week we finished the subject about Bible history on school, it was a lot of information but it was it all worthy and probably next week we will get a assignment about this subject. The first assignment from last week was good, I answered every question correct.

Last Saturday we had our first ministry, we went to a Living Hope lady in the slums. Living Hope is a ministry of Watoto Church;

Initiated in early 2008, the goal of Living Hope is to restore dignity to vulnerable women in Africa.
Left abandoned or widowed, the target group is HIV+ single women, returnees from abduction into the rebel army in northern Uganda and teenage mothers.

The goal is to restore dignity to these women in the following ways:
• Improving quality of life, assisting them with basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and medical care
• Providing comprehensive HIV/AIDS care including counseling and psychosocial support
• Empowering and equipping with vocational skills that will enable them to become productive members of their community
• Setting up self-sustainable, income-generating projects using micro-finance loans
• Spiritual and moral discipleship http://www.watoto.com/projects/living-hope

It was not my first time in the slums but every time when you visit the slums is different. It's almost impossible to describe the situation there, some people may have seen some images on the television but I can tell you in real life it's so different. Apart from the terrible smell of animals/people, burned trash, feces of animals/people. Most of the people in the slums never saw 'white people' before and especially the little children run to you and screaming 'Mzungu, Mzungu!' what means 'Whites' When we arrived the little, little but I mean really little house of the Living Hope lady I was shocked because my bedroom in the Netherlands is even bigger. It was a All-in-one room (kitchen,living&bedroom) where she was living with her 3 sons plus a babyboy of 7 months while she was abandoned by her husband.
We talked with her and she told us her life story about how Watoto saved her life, the moment she came to Living Hope she learnt how to take care over herself, her children and how to earn some money to pay for the school of her children and buy some food. Next time we will bring her food and clothes and we will share the Word of God with her.

Saturday night we went to the evening service in Watoto Church where pastor Calvin shared a great Word about 'self-leadership' before you can lead a group of people you have to lead yourself. One of the texts he used was from Donovan Bailey; "Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don't let anyone limit your dreams!"

About dreams.. I wrote in my last blog about the week of prayer and fasting for my future after 360° I believe God really puts a dream in my heart, a desire to follow Him, caring for His people. And today I wrote the scripture that confirms my feeling;
...“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:34 NKJV

...“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. Mark 8:34-35 MSG

I'm willing to follow Him, so maybe I'll come back next year to Uganda if that is God's plan for my life. For now I'll keep praying about that, and all prayers from you are most welcome!

For now.. I'm gonna put on my running shoes and go to the gym..

Mukama akume (God bless you)