One step closer

Dubai:

Well I made it to Dubai! I don’t know if I will ever get used to that flight; 16hours?! I mean come on, that's crazy! It was a pretty good flight for the most part just watched movies and slept. When breakfast was served I got sick but I felt a whole lot better after. The man sitting next to me was like a sleeping rock, I couldn’t get around him even if I tried, and sometimes, he would even sway around in his sleep. Not going to lie I was a little afraid that he would fall in to my lap. I am here at the Copthorne Airport Hotel in Dubai, I just had dinner and I am praying it all stays down. Traveling alone is such a odd experience, but it also makes me feel empowered like I can conquer the world or something. I do miss my nights here with the Rockharbor teams; these hotel rooms bring back so many memories. Tomorrow I will be in Uganda; gosh what a crazy thought. I am excited for this summer; I don’t really know what to expect but my constant prayer is to be used, to be used every day and to have my presence be significant. I don’t want to come all this way and feel inadequate, or a waste of space, I don’t want to let anyone down. These are some of my fears, fears that I don’t want to get in my way or contaminate my thoughts. I don’t need to be thinking that way. I don’t think it has hit me yet that every morning after tomorrow I will wake up in Uganda, and I will be surrounded by joy and people who leak Jesus. Happiness fills my heart when I think of that; I am thankful to be here and I am ready to be used.

These past couple weeks, as I anticipated, were crazy, but I survived. I finished this semester with straight A’s, now that was something to be excited about. There was so much worry, stress and loss of sleep over those last few weeks of school but finishing didn’t really relive that. When school got out my focus went to packing to move, packing to leave and get everything ready to do both of those things. I had to move all my stuff into storage (thanks Cara!), clean up as much as I could as well as get everything I needed for this trip. With all the craziness and some unexpected drama I finally got it all done, not how I wanted to but I did it. There is no turning back now, my slightly over packed suitcases are on their way to Uganda and most everything I left back in America is accounted for. 

If I could bring all the people I love to Uganda, I think it would feel even more like heaven then it already does. I am not homesick quite yet, but it was hard saying goodbye to my family, friends and my crew members at fish camp. I know its only two months, but those people are people I see multiple times a week if not everyday; it will just be weird not seeing them for two months. I am really excited to see friends I haven’t seen since last summer, oh man I cannot wait to see Sharif, Simple, Sunday, Nixion, Jessica and everyone I have made friends with these past two summers. Lets go already! Bring. It. on!

Time to get ready for bed, I have an early morning ahead of me and a beautiful country to get too. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog!

Prayer Requests: Wisdom beyond my years, to be used, to be significant, to not listen to the lies, to soak up every moment and to not miss what God wants me to see, learn or do.

Love always,

Mary Joy

Just around the corner...

        May 28th. Wow looking at that date makes me feel a variety pack of emotions. On May 28th I will be boarding a plane to fly to the beautiful country of red dirt, joy and love. My destination is Gulu, Uganda. This will be my third summer traveling to Uganda and I am really enjoying this trend. Unlike my past two trips this trip is a solo trip; flying alone, laying over alone, landing alone. If I said I wasn't scared I would be lying. Of course I am a little scared, who wouldn't be? But more than scared I am excited, and ready for God to challenge me in ways I have been asking Him to; I want to live my life dependent on Him and no one or nothing else. My heart has been waiting for this trip since I left Uganda last July; I have learned a lot in the past few months and am so thankful for what God has shown me in preparation for this trip. Am I ready? No I don't think I am ready, but I also don't think I need to be, I know that where ever I am at God will use me, stretch me and show me his will. 

      For two months I will be interning in Uganda with an organization called Remnant Uganda and I couldn't be more excited. I not only get to work with a group of ladies I got to spend time with last summer but I will also be working along side on of my really good friends, Stefanie Bammer. To be honest I think excited is an understatement, words cannot express how I feel about this amazing adventure I am heading on. One of my goals for my future is to work for an organization abroad and this internship will really give me an idea of what that life looks like. It is not going to be all fun and games but because of the ladies and Bammer I know I wont go a day without laughing.

          Where am I at now? Let me paint a quick picture about what these past couple months and next couple weeks will look like. I am thankfully in my last few weeks of school but I have so much to squeeze into those short weeks. Papers, speeches, projects and finals have been consuming me along with work, high school ministry and events. I not only have to study for five finals but I have to begin to pack, move my stuff and get some experience in screen printing before I fly out. By May 28th I will have taken all my finals, quit my job, watched and celebrated my brothers Graduation, moved all my stuff into storage and gained a lot of trust that my new roommates with find us a place to live and for me to come home to. If that doesn't make you feel stressed out then you are lucky, because I absolutely feel the weight of the stress right now. It is a lot to think about but by the time I am on that plane it will all go away, and a whole new set of worries will develop. How about a happy thought? I know that God will protect, provide and watch over me so I really don't have anything to worry about. 

Stay tuned, I will do my best to post about my journey both to and in Uganda.Thank you.

Mary Sick