Bugs and Spiritual Heart Surgery

Hello Family & Friends,

I am writing this blog with my headlamp while sitting in bed under my mosquito net.  The electricity is out again and has been very intermittent all week and weekend.  We were spoiled the first couple of weeks here as it was on more than off, but we are told that this week is more of the norm, so thank the Lord for headlamps and candles!

Animal update:

I have not been stung by any more caterpillars. Yahoo! This week all the bug incidents seemed to happen in one day for me. I think it was Friday after dinner, I decided to sit down for a bit in our hut and read and journal when I felt a tickle between my bottom and waistline. It was really hot that day so I thought maybe I was just sweating. As I reached my hand back to give myself a little scratchy scratch, I felt a lump. Hmm…sweat is not lumpy as far as I know. Miracle of miracles, I remained calm and decided that whatever I was touching through my skirt needed to perish before I found out what it was so I pinched and it squished. I stood up holding the material of my skirt tightly and called outside for Chris to come in. I couldn’t bear to identify the squished creature alone. Well, when my skirt had been removed we discovered a green goo mark and one in tact black and green striped leg.  Needless to say, the poor grasshopper that somehow hopped into my skirt never hopped out.

A bit later, Chris and I were sitting in our front room reading when we saw two little flying ant type creatures on our coffee table. We both killed one and then all of a sudden, within seconds the table was filled with these things, it was like they were falling from the ceiling. We ended up DOOMING the entire room and going to our dining hall to wait out the fumes only to find that they had invaded that area too. The weird thing is that it was like they hatched and then started dying and then it was over. Chris swept up the remains and out the door they went and that was that.

Then we decided to go to bed and as I hugged my husband goodnight, I saw him glance up at the ceiling behind me. I thought he was trying to kid around with me but then he looked somewhat serious so I turned to see a very large cockroach making its way across our ceiling. This bug was also swept out the front door by my hubbie.  I then told God I had reached my bug quotient for the day and was going to sleep and would appreciate it if no other creatures found their way into my clothing or home. God heard my prayer.

Other than that one day, things have been much better. Our latrine is under control and for the most part all is clear. We have started seeing frogs this week with the increase of rain which I think are very cool. Oh, and I forgot, we did have a centipede in our room earlier in the week. Just a note, when you take a picture of a centipede with the macro lens on your camera, perhaps wait until you are out of country before you zoom in and see all of its tiny legs and fine hairs. It creeped me out. But, again, the frogs are cool. Yay for frogs.

School Update:

School is incredible. I can’t even begin to describe the training we are receiving here. It was a rough week spiritually, and all of us students decided to nickname this week Open Heart Surgery week. Some of the topics covered were: self-deceit, idols and idolatry, our true motives for doing the things that we do, repentance, what is an orphan?, what does an orphan heart look like?, what are the characteristics and behaviors of the orphan heart?, what are the differences between living like you are a slave of God instead of living as an adopted son or daughter of God?

Most of us, Africans and Westerners alike, felt like we had been cut open and left to bleed by the end of the week, but then Friday brought hope and the reminder that in spite of the wickedness in our own hearts, despite the areas in which we live out of our wounds and in turn wound others, as well as the ways in which we replace God with idols in our lives, that God in His love comes to us to offer freedom, love, and a new inheritance. That in our brokenness and inability to even know what to do with ourselves, He comes to us.

There is so much I could write about, say, and flesh out for you in regards to what we learned this week, but it is too much right now and we are honestly still trying to process it all. This is difficult stuff to look at and face, but it is so worth it. Many of the Africans shared today about areas they have found freedom since the teaching last week. We too can feel our hearts being stirred and worked on and we are all just praying for the courage to allow God to do the work He needs to do.

We also have started to get involved in our family groups this week and have begun meeting with our mentors. This whole experience is awesome, really hard, in every way completely draining, but in ways we don’t have words for, it’s transformational.  We all looked at each other today and talked about how we are already seeing that the truth we are learning is already making a difference in us and how we view our areas of ministry, but that we can’t even imagine what we will all be experiencing after many months more of this. Only God knows what He has in store for us. J  So the adventure continues.

Business Items:

Many of you have emailed lately and asked what our address is in case you want to send us something. Here is that info and some basic tips:

Mail to:

Attn: Chris and Aimee Haywood

New Hope Uganda

PO Box 16
Luwero, Uganda, East Africa

It is best to send packages in envelopes or slender boxes. Big, cubelike boxes tend to get damaged or take a really long time to come. A slender box can take 2-4 weeks to come. Letters usually get here in 2 weeks. Airmail is best obviously.

Support:

Some of you have asked how we are doing on our financial support. We first of all want to thank all of you for the tremendous outpouring of support that came in to get us here to Uganda in this season of our lives and for your generous gifts. We were overwhelmed with all of your financial and spiritual support and encouragement to take this next step in our training. We would not be here without all those who prayed and gave to us. THANK YOU.

We are in need of more support and are focusing on three things with the money that will come in during our time here.

1) School Fees: We are hoping to continue to be able to make payments towards the education, housing, and food costs that New Hope so generously allowed us to pay for as we go.

2) We are praying about going to visit the Musana Camps that are about 6 hours away from where we are now as they do a lot of discipleship training, family counseling, and other things that we are interested in possibly doing in the States.

3) Our family group is looking to begin a pig project that will allow them to have a form of income that will make them more self-sufficient. The family father is hoping this will help him to provide for his kids who are at the age where they will need money to continue their education. Many of them are ready to go into more of a skill and trade training or university and there are costs associated with that. The pig project will need some funding to get off the ground so we are hoping to possibly contribute to the building proposal for this.

Again, as stated in our original email, if you’d like to contribute financially to us while we are here, you can send a check to my parent’s home and they will put that in our bank account for us. We do have access to our bank accounts here in a small village about 30 minutes away thankfully, so that makes things easier. If you need their mailing address, please email my Dad, Paul, at pjpavlik@gmail.com and he can give you the address to mail checks to. I just don’t want to put their address on the public blog. J

Thank you in advance for giving to us as God leads you. God has provided for our every need so far and we know He will continue. He is good and faithful. Also, please continue to pray for us as that is very important as well. We have been comforted and blessed by your prayers.

Until next time, may you experience the love of God today in all its fullness and grace,

Aimee & Chris