Ethan couldn't wait for his first day of school, we bought a lunchbox and backpack and counted down the days until Monday. Monday came and Ethan woke up with a tummy bug :( So we rested up for two days and when Wednesday came he was so excited to be able to go to Preschool. 

His teachers are wonderful and it seems he has made friends and is adjusting very well to this new setting and adventure. So thankful he is loving it! 

After school video interview

During the first month of being in Uganda, I started reading Teach Them Diligently: How to Use the Scriptures in Child Training by Louis Priolo that had been recommended to me a couple months before but I haven't had a chance to start it with the move etc. 

Two of the main ideas in the book are based on

  2 Tim 3:16 
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
 rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
and
Deut. 6:6-9 

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home 
and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 
Write them on the doorframe of your house and on your gates. 

During the same time, Ethan started to become very scared of the thunderstorms here and loud noises which was so not his demeanor before. So we started to use scripture to combat his fears and as a family learnt Psalms 56:3-4, When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. 

Anytime he would mention being scared we would ask him what his verse said and pray to ask Jesus to help him not be afraid and slowly his fears diminished. 

Having the verse in your heart as you adjust to life in a new country and having fears of your own was very helpful to Curtis and I as well. 

As we have over the past months come across something that was wearing us down we would pick another verse and use it to combat the attacks of the enemy. 

Our verses at this point include Psalms 56:3-4,
Colossians 3:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Philippians 4:13.

It has been so encouraging to see Ethan learn these verses and to see how God is using His word to change his heart. Not to mention the impact it is having on Curtis and I as we hide His treasures in our hearts and use them for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness in our own walks with the Lord. 

Our God is good! 

I thought I'd share some of the verses we have learnt through these 3 months in the hopes that you might print them out and use them to live in Gods word in the situations that cause you to be anxious or worry, or take away from the glory of God. As we add new one's I'll try to upload the wall art for you to use too.

Scripture download link

(How ministry looked to me before coming to Uganda and how God is changing my viewpoint.)

When I started out on this journey of obeying God’s calling to move to Uganda and be a missionaries wife, I had my own plans in mind. I dreamt of loving on orphans and training young woman in a skill to better their lives. Of being the hands and feet of Jesus in the most literal sense and how I imagined missions work to be for as long as I can remember.

After 3 months here, that is not what my journey looks like. I have been crushed and have battle scars from the spiritual battles that have raged around and in me. God has taken me to personal spiritual places I had never been before. I have dug my feet in and said no more and checked out. I have picked myself back up and with my head hung, slowly come back to the Maker and the Life-giver and asked for a do-over. 

I've realized that my way is not his way and his plans are far greater than I could ever imagine. That he has been equipping me and building my character for this exact time in my life. 

So my journey might not look like I imagined it but I am grateful to be serving my Lord in the ways he has prepared for me. And I’m expectant to see how he changes me and sanctifies me to bring him glory in the end. 

Jeneane attended a night of cultural dances at the Ndere Cultural Center in Kampala.

It was so amazing to see the skill it takes to perform the tribal dances and was very interesting to learn about the districts and history of Uganda as well as try some traditional Ugandan food.

 It was a great night out with the ladies on our staff. 

 Here are some of my favorite dances of the evening

It's taken us a while to fully be able to put into words what this past month has been like.

There have been ups and downs, high points and times we doubted but through it all, we have clung to the faithfulness of God and his strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

There were many times we were worn out and didn't think we could go on but we would turn the corner and see how God was breaking down the walls of our flesh.

As much as we hated going through it. 

We now see God's mercy and grace and are truly thankful for him working in us.

Here is a glimpse of this month in photos:

Clockwise: Ethan's first 'tub' bath, Ethan being his goofy self, Our new puppy Georgia, Ethan passed out after visiting with friends.

Top Row: Our first Ugandan meal, Ugandan money, An avocado the size of your hand, Middle Row: Our favorite Rolex stand, Homemade Chic fil A because sometimes you just need something to remind you of home, Our first harvest of bananas from one of our trees. Bottom Row: The seeds for our garden, A funny sign in a supermarket.

Ethan's Scarecrow Dance with a cameo from the rooster next door to the staff house.

Trusting the Provider - Curtis, Jeneane and Ethan

When we first met we spoke often of how we both felt called to go and serve somewhere in Africa. We often thought it would be Kenya. We even had a few opportunities come up where we asked questions and looked into if that was what God had for us. We also felt like there would be some connection to AIDS or HIV and children. Over the years those opportunities never worked out and we had began to wonder if it was God’s will or if it was just a desire of ours. 

We have followed the story of Sixty Feet for several years now. When we saw their post for a social media coordinator. We felt God telling us that we should at least start getting more info. We reached out to see what all this would mean and we asked those around us to start praying. After lots of prayer, asking every question we could think of, and consulting with family and friends we felt that this is what God was calling us to. Shortly after that Sixty Feet made an official offer and we began the process of joining the team.

Wordless Wednesday 

Stairs

Entryway

Living room

Kitchen

Eat - in Kitchen looking out to the living room

Kitchen

Eat- in Kitchen looking out to dinning room

Dinning room

Hall

Hall Bathroom

Master bedroom

Master bathroom

Master bathroom

Second bedroom

Third bedroom

The news I didn't tell you in the previous post was that Thursday was also the day I graduated from college. The only closing time they could give us so that we did not have to have a new appraisal done (because of the waiting game ours was about to expire) was Thursday at 4, just 2 hours before I needed to be at the school, an hour and a half away, I confirmed with the school that I could be there only 45 mins in advance which bought me an hour and we were cutting it close but we got it done. The loan attorney was super fast!

We closed on our house and I walked the stage. 

So excited for new beginnings!!!



Here are some videos from Graduation:

After Curtis got a permanent position at work in June we started looking for a house to purchase. 

After 6 months of actively looking, we had looked at over 55 houses and put in 7 offers that were out bid, we were starting to rethink buying a house and rather trying to rent to move closer to Curtis' work , as the hour and 20 mins each way was killing him and our bank account. 

We had just started inquiring about a basement apartment when our realtor called to inform us that, a HUD home we had bid on 2 months earlier and didn't get, had come back on the market and they had accepted our backup offer. Wooohooo!!!!!

We were so excited and started planning everything that needed to be done. 

Got our inspection done that next week and a pending approval from the bank the following week, all they needed was a couple more documents. 

After sending in the documents we started the waiting game... 

If you have never played the waiting game it went something like this you live on edge waiting for a 100% approval and ready to close and move at the drop of a hat, but its not that quick it took over a month and a contract extension before we got our approval.

During our waiting game we had terrible winds and the roof on the house got a leak so we went back and forth with the management company about getting it repaired and luckily they repaired it. 

We got the great news on a Monday and we were closing by the Thursday (I told you quick turn around).

We celebrated at Curtis' brothers house by having a bonfire, reminded me of how we celebrate in South Africa, the only difference is its about 20 degrees hotter there. 

We had such a fun time though, was great to ring in the new year with family.

As our first post we thought we would give you our back story and catch you up a bit...

Curtis was born and raised in Georgia, He is the oldest of four children, with two brothers and a sister. 

Jeneane was born and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, she is the middle of three sisters. She came to the U.S. in the summer of 2005 as an Au Pair and extended her stay in 2006 as she planned to attend college here. 

We meet in October 2006 at North Metro Church's college ministry Echo, through a mutual friend. (Curtis does not remember this meeting) A few weeks later Curtis held a bonfire at his house, which a friend and I attended and Curtis and I spoke the entire night. 

After many a night of late night phone calls, we started dating on November 24th and on February 3rd 2007, Curtis asked me to marry him.  

We married on March 24th 2007.  

The last six years has been a whirl wind, we have moved four times.

We have added two pets to our family. Dolce and Gabbana.

Curtis was laid off unexpectedly in February 2009, and we have both gone back to school and finished our degrees since. 

Curtis received his Bachelor of Science in Communication form Kennesaw State University in August 2011. Jeneane just finished up her diploma in Business Administration with a speciality in the Medical Office.

We have had a long and interesting journey and are hoping with the completion of our degree's we will start down some new and fun paths that we would love to share with you.

So let the journey begin...