“Christians today like to play it safe. We want to put ourselves in situations where we are safe 'even if there is no God.' But if we truly desire to please God, we cannot live that way.”
― Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
Here are some answers to the questions we seem to hear the most:
What organization are you going to Uganda with?
We are SO excited to say that we have officially accepted missionary positions with SERGE: Grace at the Fray. We will be working in partnership with Y.E.S. Uganda. We have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of care and equipping that we have seen in SERGE and we have quickly come to love the staff and other missionaries that we have met!
What about your kids' schooling?
We have four children who will be between the ages of 11 and 14 when we leave. Because we will be 4 hours away from the capital city of Kampala, there are no international schools available. As an experienced math and science teacher, Brooke feels confident in homeschooling the kids and is quite excited to do it!
Where will you live?
We will live in a rented home in Fort Portal. While there are some differences, it will be similar to a small 3 bedroom house in the U.S. There are some luxuries that we won't have, such as a dishwasher and clothes washer, but the house will be safe and we will make it a home!
Where will you get your income?
Our goal is to avoid taking any income from the ministry of Y.E.S. Uganda because every dollar they have goes to bless the people of Uganda. For this reason, we will be raising our required support back in the U.S. In order to go through family missionary training, purchase airfare, and have the resources needed to live and do ministry there, we need to raise the equivalent of over $8,000/month. Only a small part of that number is actual income. Much of it will go toward meeting needs of people in Fort Portal. We have worked with experienced missionaries to develop our budget and would love to talk with you more about how your donations can impact the people of Uganda!
How do the kids feel about this move?
Overall, our kids are very excited! Grace is probably the most excited. From the time she was three years old, she has had a heart for missions and loves spending time overseas. She has traveled with us to Uganda before and was heartbroken to leave. She has quite an adventurous heart and her bedroom wall is covered in inspiring quotes such as "We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves. We believe not just bold words but in bold deeds to match them." Grace has created her own website for her friends to follow her adventures. You can access it here. She did a great job!
JoAn is thrilled for the opportunity to be back in her hometown WITH her adoptive family. When people ask her if she is excited, she says, "Well, yes! That is MY country!" She is also excited to be able to see extended family that she thought she would not get to see again.
Luke, even though he is the youngest in the family, takes a spiritual approach to the move. He sees it as an opportunity to sacrifice some of his comforts to serve people. He is also excited to experience things that many kids his age don't have the opportunity to experience.
Anteneh is excited, but also slightly hesitant. While he is also looking forward to the adventure and experiencing new things, he is fearful that his friendships here will end. He is very social and involved in nearly every after school activity he can fit in his schedule. He says he is most excited about getting a big guard dog in Uganda and being able to play soccer and other sports outside with the kids at the orphanage every day.
How long will you be in Uganda?
The call to 'go' is very clear to us, but the length of time commitment is not necessarily something we feel God communicated to us. We are being trained as 5 year missionaries, but are open to staying however long the Lord will have us there. We plan to pray and listen. A 5 year mission assignment involves 4 years on the field and 1 year back in the U.S..
“I can't see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step.”
― Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie
What are you doing with your 'stuff'?
All of our 'stuff' can be put into 5 basic categories:
1-Things we haven't really used in years, but own. These things will be sold in rummage sales and on Craig's List. We are already gotten rid of a lot!
2-Things we want to take to Uganda. We will be taking only 3 suitcases each, so this category is very limited. We are setting these items aside for packing.
3-Things we want to keep forever: pictures, important documents, mementos. We will be keeping these items in storage.
4-Things we need to use until we leave, but don't really need to keep. We will wait until the end to sell these items.
5-Things we will need when we move back to America. (kitchen dishes, winter clothes) These items will go into storage.
Most of our furniture will be sold. Honestly, we haven't really invested nice furniture over the years anyway; however, I would like to keep the kitchen table if possible. It may be large, but it's special to our family.
But, won't you need it when you return?
This is why we are keeping much of our kitchen items. As I mentioned before, we have never invested much in our furniture, so it's not going to be difficult to part with or replace anything we let go of for this incredible opportunity to reach out!
Isn't it dangerous? What about medical care?
While the area we will live in doesn't have many specialist doctors; we can always make trips to the capital city of Kampala and have friends there who know many trusted doctors, dentists, and clinics. There is a hospital very near where we will live. Most antibiotics and over the counter medicines we would need are readily available. What isn't available, I will be bringing. We will also have good health insurance for any big emergencies or events such as cancer. Our kids are very healthy and literally have not been to the doctor for years with the exception of yearly checkups. That being said, if the need arises for good doctors, we know where to find them and will have the resources to cover the cost.
What if your kids get bored? What if they hate it? What if you don't like it and want to come home?
Our greatest desire for our children is that they would love God with all their hearts,and love others. At night we pray over them that they would go through their days with others as their focus, and not live to make their own lives more comfortable. They are getting ready to embark on years that will show them how most of the world actually lives; giving them an opportunity to sacrifice some of their material comforts and serve those who weren't blessed to be born into a family that is in the top 1% of wage earners in the world. Might they get bored at times? Maybe. But that's okay. Do they get bored here in the U.S. sometimes? Absolutely!
Is there a risk that our kids will hate living in Uganda? There really is. But we are betting they won't. One of them spent 10 of her 11 years growing up there. Our other three have experience with missions and living overseas. Our kids are wonderful travelers and actually bond during travel and family activities that are outside our day to day experiences. The God who is calling us to Uganda is the same God who knit our family together, loves our children, and knows what is best for them. We won’t spend time worrying; instead, we will watch how God moves in their hearts and lives. Thank goodness that God's plans are better than ours!
As for us, we will be doing what God has called us to, fulfilling a call He put on our lives years ago. There is joy that comes from being in a place you are confident God has you; especially when it is the desire of your heart!
“We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead, we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.”
― David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
What organization are you going to Uganda with?
We are SO excited to say that we have officially accepted missionary positions with SERGE: Grace at the Fray. We will be working in partnership with Y.E.S. Uganda. We have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of care and equipping that we have seen in SERGE and we have quickly come to love the staff and other missionaries that we have met!
What about your kids' schooling?
We have four children who will be between the ages of 11 and 14 when we leave. Because we will be 4 hours away from the capital city of Kampala, there are no international schools available. As an experienced math and science teacher, Brooke feels confident in homeschooling the kids and is quite excited to do it!
Where will you live?
We will live in a rented home in Fort Portal. While there are some differences, it will be similar to a small 3 bedroom house in the U.S. There are some luxuries that we won't have, such as a dishwasher and clothes washer, but the house will be safe and we will make it a home!
Where will you get your income?
Our goal is to avoid taking any income from the ministry of Y.E.S. Uganda because every dollar they have goes to bless the people of Uganda. For this reason, we will be raising our required support back in the U.S. In order to go through family missionary training, purchase airfare, and have the resources needed to live and do ministry there, we need to raise the equivalent of over $8,000/month. Only a small part of that number is actual income. Much of it will go toward meeting needs of people in Fort Portal. We have worked with experienced missionaries to develop our budget and would love to talk with you more about how your donations can impact the people of Uganda!
How do the kids feel about this move?
Overall, our kids are very excited! Grace is probably the most excited. From the time she was three years old, she has had a heart for missions and loves spending time overseas. She has traveled with us to Uganda before and was heartbroken to leave. She has quite an adventurous heart and her bedroom wall is covered in inspiring quotes such as "We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves. We believe not just bold words but in bold deeds to match them." Grace has created her own website for her friends to follow her adventures. You can access it here. She did a great job!
JoAn is thrilled for the opportunity to be back in her hometown WITH her adoptive family. When people ask her if she is excited, she says, "Well, yes! That is MY country!" She is also excited to be able to see extended family that she thought she would not get to see again.
Luke, even though he is the youngest in the family, takes a spiritual approach to the move. He sees it as an opportunity to sacrifice some of his comforts to serve people. He is also excited to experience things that many kids his age don't have the opportunity to experience.
Anteneh is excited, but also slightly hesitant. While he is also looking forward to the adventure and experiencing new things, he is fearful that his friendships here will end. He is very social and involved in nearly every after school activity he can fit in his schedule. He says he is most excited about getting a big guard dog in Uganda and being able to play soccer and other sports outside with the kids at the orphanage every day.
How long will you be in Uganda?
The call to 'go' is very clear to us, but the length of time commitment is not necessarily something we feel God communicated to us. We are being trained as 5 year missionaries, but are open to staying however long the Lord will have us there. We plan to pray and listen. A 5 year mission assignment involves 4 years on the field and 1 year back in the U.S..
“I can't see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step.”
― Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie
What are you doing with your 'stuff'?
All of our 'stuff' can be put into 5 basic categories:
1-Things we haven't really used in years, but own. These things will be sold in rummage sales and on Craig's List. We are already gotten rid of a lot!
2-Things we want to take to Uganda. We will be taking only 3 suitcases each, so this category is very limited. We are setting these items aside for packing.
3-Things we want to keep forever: pictures, important documents, mementos. We will be keeping these items in storage.
4-Things we need to use until we leave, but don't really need to keep. We will wait until the end to sell these items.
5-Things we will need when we move back to America. (kitchen dishes, winter clothes) These items will go into storage.
Most of our furniture will be sold. Honestly, we haven't really invested nice furniture over the years anyway; however, I would like to keep the kitchen table if possible. It may be large, but it's special to our family.
But, won't you need it when you return?
This is why we are keeping much of our kitchen items. As I mentioned before, we have never invested much in our furniture, so it's not going to be difficult to part with or replace anything we let go of for this incredible opportunity to reach out!
Isn't it dangerous? What about medical care?
While the area we will live in doesn't have many specialist doctors; we can always make trips to the capital city of Kampala and have friends there who know many trusted doctors, dentists, and clinics. There is a hospital very near where we will live. Most antibiotics and over the counter medicines we would need are readily available. What isn't available, I will be bringing. We will also have good health insurance for any big emergencies or events such as cancer. Our kids are very healthy and literally have not been to the doctor for years with the exception of yearly checkups. That being said, if the need arises for good doctors, we know where to find them and will have the resources to cover the cost.
What if your kids get bored? What if they hate it? What if you don't like it and want to come home?
Our greatest desire for our children is that they would love God with all their hearts,and love others. At night we pray over them that they would go through their days with others as their focus, and not live to make their own lives more comfortable. They are getting ready to embark on years that will show them how most of the world actually lives; giving them an opportunity to sacrifice some of their material comforts and serve those who weren't blessed to be born into a family that is in the top 1% of wage earners in the world. Might they get bored at times? Maybe. But that's okay. Do they get bored here in the U.S. sometimes? Absolutely!
Is there a risk that our kids will hate living in Uganda? There really is. But we are betting they won't. One of them spent 10 of her 11 years growing up there. Our other three have experience with missions and living overseas. Our kids are wonderful travelers and actually bond during travel and family activities that are outside our day to day experiences. The God who is calling us to Uganda is the same God who knit our family together, loves our children, and knows what is best for them. We won’t spend time worrying; instead, we will watch how God moves in their hearts and lives. Thank goodness that God's plans are better than ours!
As for us, we will be doing what God has called us to, fulfilling a call He put on our lives years ago. There is joy that comes from being in a place you are confident God has you; especially when it is the desire of your heart!
“We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead, we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.”
― David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream