I probably never will travel to Uganda, but my friend, Lisa Glines, just returned from a trip there. I was privileged to travel with her – vicariously, of course.
Lisa’s daughter-in-law, Aneesa, was Lisa’s travel partner. Aneesa celebrated her birthday with their wonderful Ugandan travel guides and travel partners. This photo is their friend, Sam, celebrating with them. Happy Birthday, Aneesa!
Thank you, Lisa, and Aneesa, for sharing your adventure!
One of their guides was a bird expert.
This is the Crested Crane, Royal Uganda’s national bird
Other guides were animal experts who knew just how to find where these exotic animals lived, swam, and dined.
Doesn’t Aneesa look like a fun-filled travel partner?
Waiting for a hand-out?
Sunrises and sunsets were spectacular!
Must have been quite a thrill to get so close to these beautiful animals.
Ready to travel home. Thank you so much for sharing!!
And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
I may not have had a tunic to share… nor food to share with you today, but I had travel photos that were graciously shared with me… so time to pass them on with gratitude for Lisa’s big heart! I hope you enjoyed the virtual Uganda trip, too.
Sharing colors my world. I hope it colored yours today, too. Have a Happy Presidents’ Day here in the USA, and a Marvelous Monday, my friends.
She spoke of children Where poverty and illness Put them at great risk.
Experiences Shared with us in church today Brought love of strangers.
Madison County Food Bank
“When were You hungry and I fed You? When were You thirsty and I gave You drink? When were You a stranger and I welcomed You? When were You naked and I gave You clothes? When were You sick or in prison and I took care of You?”
“Whenever you did one of these to the least of these, my children, you did it unto Me.”
Paraphrased from Matthew 34-40
Love Stories from Africa
Our guest speaker told of her missionary trips to Uganda and Ghana, South African areas where she was called by God to go – not to speak of religion – but show the love of Christ through her actions. She helped children with cancer, families with loved ones dying of HIV-AIDS, orphaned children, farmers in need to seeds to plant their crops, or goats to provide milk, or workers who needed motor bikes to get to their places of employment. She danced to the music of the natives, and walked barefoot in the sands of these foreign lands.
Judgement turned to admiration. She gained appreciation for the resilience of these people. The poverty rate was 80% in many of the remote regions of the north. Improving their health care and job opportunities was the goal of the USA funding that she managed. The people had so little that every bit of help was doubly appreciated. They had so little, and yet they had so much. So much love. So much beauty.
Beauty comes smiling at us Everywhere we turn If we just open our eyes See the love – and learn!
Learn to treasure all the people God has made. Reach out to those you meet. Love them all – be not afraid!
Love is all we need. Gotta keep it real simple: Love God – Love People!!
Embrace Sunday. Embrace God and Love One Another. See ya tomorrow (God willing).
“Ambitions don’t flow from the quantity of our ideas or our uninterrupted drive; they gush out from our kindness and willingness to take a genuine interest in others.” Bob Goff
Taking a “genuine interest in others” is what Love Does!
Sometimes we wonder what we can do to make the world a better place. We want to help, but we don’t know how. Let me share an idea that works for me:
Bob Goff’s “Love Does” is an organization devoted to making the world a better place through education of people in places where schools did not exist before they came. Bob Goff wrote a “runaway New York Time’s best seller” book titled, Love Does. In it he spelled out his philosophy of DOING LOVE. Since its publication in 2012, I don’t know how many thousands of copies have been sold … but it is a whole lot!! And Bob’s LOVE DOES organization has raised millions to help thousands of children and adults in Uganda, India, Iraq, Iran, and Somalia have a better life.
In his quote this week on his FaceBook page, Bob talks about the courage to step out in faith:
May 7 at 9:35 AM ·
"Sometimes God asks us to step out (or through).
We don’t know what we’ll see
until we go through the deluge.
It’s scary to step into the unknown,
but it’s also where we find Jesus;
and wherever we find Jesus,
we find life.
Fear calls out our doubts;
God calls out our names."
Bob Goff
Helping to educate people from birth on … helping parents learn better parenting skills… helping to provide nourishment for the soul, the body, the spirit… that’s what Love Does! They built “Restore Leadership Academy” and sponsor the education of future leaders in Uganda.
May 10, 2018 · On average in the states, it costs about $20,000 a year for college tuition. In Uganda through Restore Leadership Academy, it costs $700. Our college-aged interns here at Love Does have created a campaign to help fund our Launch students!! Visit lovedoes.org/launch to sponsor a student! Sponsor a student today or make a one-time donation and receive a bag of wildflower seeds and a cool sticker in the mail to help “Plant the Seeds of Education!” #LaunchUganda#LoveDoes#HappyG… See More— in Uganda.
Through Love Does, help moms be better moms – and help children not only survive, but thrive.
There are many ways in your own neighborhood as well as around the world to show your love and compassion and to make the world a better place. We don’t need to sit at home and feel helpless in this COVID-19 world. We can reach out and let our love “gush out from our kindness and willingness to take a genuine interest in others.”
I donate a small amount monthly to this organization. It comes directly out of my retirement check. Not enough that I even notice it! But, if each person who heard about Love Does did the same thing, together our offerings can change lives! Lives of all ages… lives in many parts of the world. Here are a couple of darling children in Somalia who are being helped through Love Does donations.
How adorable are these two little friends in the baby home? We love watching these kiddos grow up here! To learn more about what we’re doing in Somalia, visit lovedoes.org/Somalia
I pray you and I will visibly gush with kindness and willingness to take a genuine interest in others.
BOTTOM LINE: LOVE DOES! Try it!
See ya tomorrow. Have a Beautiful Sunday. {{{Hugs}}} from JanBeek
JanBeek 