YO! 

I started my Sunday morning with a run. To be honest, I didn't want to. I woke up at 7:30, looked outside: 

"Shocker, raining again. All it ever does here is rain," I thought.

Anything other than pounding the pavement sounded better at the moment, so I got on Facebook (that's what everyone does right?). I saw updates from friends hanging out together, things going on in my town and people that I cared about. The first thoughts of homesickness began to creep in. I wish my family was closer. I wish I could have been there to see J-dub (Jordan Wells), Alison Lewis and all my YiM people matriculate into Milligan. I wish I could have been hanging with Michael and Curtis in Maryland. I wanted to wake up and go see my church family at Boones Creek. Then I looked out the window again.

In that moment, I found myself missing home and so many of you who are reading this now.  But, wouldn't you know it the power went off and the internet stopped working. 

"Come on man. Really? Right now?" I thought to myself.

Funny how God works isn't it. Now, I had no choice. I drudgingly put on my running shoes and walked out the front gate and took off into the rain. 

For me, running is when I gain clarity on issues. I zone out and think and pray. So, even though I was surrounded by my new African life, I was consumed with thoughts of home. After a few minutes I realized what I really was longing for: community. Think about it. Even the first person to ever walk the earth wasn't satisfied until God gave him someone, a companion to do life with. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live or how old you are, everyone desires community. You desire, you need community. During my run this morning, I realized my own need for it as well. I don't feel bad for longing to be home, it's a natural, God given feeling. And though I live in Uganda, my community is still home in the states. 

I admit to you though, that back home all of my focus was inward on my community. I spent so much time reaching in, I forgot to reach out. How many times was I intentional about bringing others into my group of friends or church family. Was I ever intentional about building relationships with those who needed to know Jesus or Christ like community? Unfortunately, that answer is no. Only now that I am the outsider in need of community, do I see the error of how I lived in TN. 

This morning, if you choose to worship, hang out with friends or family look around you and thank God for the people He has given you. If you find yourself like me beginning a new journey (shout out to my new Buffaloes) and longing for home, realize it is natural. But, in life we have to live where we are now. What my mom once told me I now give to you: "Cherish the past, but embrace the future." 

I would ask if you choose to pray for me, pray that God would not make me uncomfortable because I'm already there. But, that I would embrace the unnatural. That God would give me a longing for this place, my new home. And, with time, that community here would be built through Godly relationships. And finally, that I would come to cherish Arua, Uganda as much as I do home.

From the heart,

CT

Getting There

YO!
I'm spending the week with pastors from South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda. They are going through CHE (community health empowerment) training. I am going through the training as well, so that I can better understand the culture and life here. Today we learned how a more efficient stove can be an evangelism tool. It goes like this. A woman living on the Somali/Kenya border learned how to build a stove that burns less wood. Burning less wood means spending less money on supplies. The woman invited her Muslim friends over for tea and they were very curious about this stove they had never seen before. She explained how it works and how it is saving her money which she can spend on her children's education or for house improvements etc. All the sudden the Muslim women were interested in her new stove. She came over to the house of a Muslim woman and together they worked on a new stove. The muslim woman invited her muslim friends to come meet this woman who made her new stove. The husbands of the muslim women love having more money in their family, so they don't mind when their wives spend time with this Christian woman. So, a new stove leads to ministry opportunities. So far, 5 women have been saved on the Somali border.
These are the types of things we are learning about this week. How can the local Christians improve the way of life in the community (clean water, disease etc.) to empower the local community to a better way of life. And through all this, to establish relationships to with the community to introduce them to Christ. Pretty cool stuff.
General things:
1. I can almost sleep through the night now and am just as close to making through the day without the need for a nap. Time change is almost complete!
2. Weather: It's great. I compare it to mid-September. It's in the 60's when we wake up and the 80's during the day. It rains every day, but not for very long and then the sun usually comes back.
3. The Coppedge family and the Rambo family are the 2 families serving in Arua, so expect to hear more about them in the coming months. They had a cake for me on Saturday when I got here, which was great.
That's all for now.
Much love,

CT

London

I had a 14 hour layover and there just happens to be some sporting event going on in London. Hey, I'm just following God's call. All kidding aside, adventures in London were awesome. I went to Olympic park just to say I've been there, but without a ticket you can't get inside. So I went to Hyde Park where you can watch the events live on huge screens. There were thousands of people hanging out for the day, so I took the chance to make new friends! Big shocker I know. I met some Canadians, Spanish and of course, British people.
Eventually I went to Buckingham Palace and the place was packed. Turns out, I was just in time to take some pictures and be there for the changing of the guard. What good fortune! I made friends with a group from Southern California and we watched the ceremony together. It was at least 30 minutes and very long and drawn out and boring if you ask me, but it's a big deal over there.  There are men on horses and more walking and a marching band of sorts, all wearing those funny hats. The marching band played the theme song from the movie Indiana Jones, which I definitely did not expect. But in my opinion, it's overrated.
I did get a chance to talk to a Muslim and we exchanged information and he is going to follow my journey here in Africa. He was one of the group from SoCal. Nice young guy and we talked a bit about Christianity, so hopefully my updates can introduce him to Jesus.
Prayer needs: 
1. Tomorrow I travel 8 hours to Arua and will be helping lead a training in some capacity for a week. Not sure what my role is yet, but to have the words to say and lead to the cross when the time comes.
2. To continue to adjust to the cultural and find a cultural mentor who I can ask all my questions to.
3. Throughout my whole time here, that God would reveal whatever He has next for me in life wherever around the world that takes me.
That's all for now. Thanks for all the encouragement from the first blog! I hate that is sounds so cliche, but I seriously love ya'll more than you know and cherish you in my prayers.

CT

My great friends Michael and Rae Bartlett and Conner Moore dropped me off in Knoxville today to begin my journey to Uganda, Africa. If you are new to the game, I'm doing missionary work until June 2013. The last 10 days I have constantly been in great community with people who love me that want to spend time with me before I leave. It's been great. I got stuffed with lots of great food because everyone wanted to "fatten me up" before I left and really enjoyed my last days in TN.
Then today. I went through security with my bags. And that's it. No family, friends or church family. No phone to call or text anyone with. Nothing. Just me alone with my thoughts. It was so overwhelming. I sat in the Knoxville airport feeling helpless and very small. I hate to sound like a girl, but that was one of the loneliest moments of my life. The finality of my decision finally hit home. I'm traveling half way around the world by myself to a place where I don't know anyone! It finally sounds wild to me. But, this is my decision. I chose this. And as musical artist Marc Imboden says, following God's call is wild and great. I thought of Paul from the New Testament. How alone must he of felt at times in his life. And though I struggled in that moment, I know you are reading this right now because you care. And besides, If God is for, who can be against us? So, onward I press ready to board a plane to London ready to make a difference. Ready to see life change happen centered around Jesus Christ. I thought my life would start changing when I got to Africa. Turns out, I didn't have to wait too long.

CT