Jon and Kristin: Uganda Bound
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Reflections on our life and lessons in uganda

Christmas and Mission

12/16/2016

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​Merry Christmas (almost)! I love Christmas season, it is one of my favorite things. When we were back in Colorado I was the lady who decorated in October. (Note: I no longer do that here since it is HIGHLY strange haha). This is a blogpost about Christmas, and missions. To be 100% honest, I didn’t really want to write it. However, the Lord has really been stirring my heart, so what can you do? 

Christmas is a time where we celebrate the long, arduous travels of a 9 months-pregnant girl and her husband. Both were stepping out in crazy huge faith to believe in the promises of God. They ended up far from home and had a baby in a barn. Not long after they had to flee to a foreign land, again, on the word of God. That is the kind of thing I can’t imagine experiencing; though I do have a better idea now. 

People have asked Jon and I so many questions about our life over here: what do we love, what do we hate, what do we eat, what do we wear, what is easy, what is hard…? Many people assume the biggest sacrifice is bunking with bugs, or having slithery neighbors right outside, and those are not some of the more enjoyable parts. However, the biggest sacrifice hasn’t been giving up my jeans for a skirt or learning to cook from scratch. It isn’t the copious bug bites itching our ankles or the heat reaching the 90’s for Christmas. The biggest sacrifice of most, if not every, missionary/missionary family is knowing that we won’t be “home for Christmas” (go ahead and hum the tune in your head, I did). Now, I don’t just mean Christmas as in December 25. I mean the birthdays, holidays, big events, little events, joys and sorrows that come with living life in a place. So many of us have family and friends back in [insert wherever we come from]. I know that back in Colorado, Christmas doesn’t feel quite like it should for our families. I know that our stockings are a reminder that this year part of their hearts is across the world.

It is hard not being with family for Christmas, but it is even harder knowing how much they feel it. It is hard for us overseas missionaries to know that our absence makes the holidays (and other events) just a little bit bleak for those who love us back in our first home. But it also brings me back to the first Christmas. 

I can’t help but wonder if missing our family isn’t a small picture of how God the Father must have felt on that first Christmas too. I’ve made the comparison before of the sending out of their sons/daughters for the sake of the gopsel and the Father sending the Son. But around Christmas I see it so much more clearly. How wonderful a sacrifice it was for Jesus to come. We’ve never known perfect fellowship with our parents (although they are the best). Jesus was in perfect fellowhsip and relationship with the Father; He was creator and ruler of all. And on that first Christmas He became a tiny baby for my sake, for yours. I can’t imagine how much the Father missed the Son, how much heaven missed Him. 

I think the Christian life is meant to reflect and mimic Jesus’ life. I think that should be even more so for the cross-cultural missionary. Because even though the sacrifice of being away is hard, we aren’t the first ones to do it. Because the King who holds our hearts became the best cross-cultural missionary for me. Because even though there is missing each other
 in being so far from family during these big events, God the Father sent the Son far away on that first Christmas too. If the God of the Universe can choose to sacrifice everything He ever had to welcome me into His family, I think the only reasonable response is for me to do the same for others.

So this Christmas we will be missing family. There will be that little bit of sadness even in the celebration. But I am comforted beyond measure in the fact that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus. I am comforted that our family has a better understanding of the heart of God because they sent their children out for the sake of the gospel. And I am comforted in all things and all pains that one day I get to stand before my Savior and celebrate Christmas eternally. 
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Servant Leader

12/9/2016

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​Hey everyone.  Sorry again for the late post. It’s been a bit busy and the night I finally sat down to do it, I broke my ipad (which was how we posted blogs).
Anyway, I have been struggling to come up with what to write. I often am struck by something and think “I should blog about that” and promptly proceed to forget what it was. Well today, I was struck and I remembered. 
I’ve been hitting that “two month slump” everyone here warned me about. I love Uganda and I love being here; but for about 3 days I really hated doing dishes by hand, and being covered in bug bites and how muddy the dog can make the floors in a matter of seconds. Now because I have been warned about said slump I shared with Jon some of the pity parties I was having. I then proceeded to drop and break my aforementioned iPad. The pity parties increased for a moment, until the Lord chastised my heart pretty good. Anyway, all of that is to tell you about what happened today.
I was getting ready and cleaned up for the day, and when I came out of the room Jon had put dishes away, swept the whole house and was vaccuming the rug with a shop vac. I didn’t ask him to do any of that, but he did it anyway. He did it willingly and with a smile. AND THEN he asked what else he could do to help make my day easier. And the Lord just showed me that those are the things that make Jesus different from other “gods”. Jesus was the epitome of servant leadership. He came and served His own creation, and died for our redemption. He continues to serve now through the Holy Spirit leading, guiding, equipping and empowering. But even more than that, He shares that servant leadership with His followers. 
Jon would be the first to tell you, and I can vouch, that his natural man doesn’t want to do all those things. None of our natures do. But Jesus comes in and enables us to not only die to ourselves, but to love doing it. That is what a servant leader is. Servant leaders don’t ask to be followed; they do what no one else wants to and people take note. Jon could stomp around the house demanding I do what he says, wants and demands. And I would probably do none of those things (except by God’s grace). But when Jon becomes a servant to me, I desire to become a servant to him. Same with Jesus. He deserves all praise and worship because He is God. But rather than demanding it, He came and washed feet, healed the sick, touched the unloved and spoke truth. 
Today, I was struck by the compassion and love of Jesus. The fact that as filthy as I was in my sin, He came down and served so that I might be drawn into relationship with Him. He could have been done with my nonsense and made a creature that would worship Him better. But He loved me and wooed my heart. That is the difference between man-made gods and the true God. Man’s gods will use power and force to demand what they want. The true God gave all He ever had to redeem rebellious sinners. I need to spend more time meditating on that fact. I don’t have to earn God’s love, because I can’t. He didn’t have to earn mine, but He chose to anyway. A servant leader is the Leader I follow, and He produces servant leaders. So rather than get mad that I can’t get that last bit of old food off of a plate, I’m going to be grateful that Jesus washed my stinky feet. 

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