the scoop

Hello! Thank you so much for visiting my Africa Blog. I kept a blog during my year living in Kampala, Uganda from May 2008-May 2009. This blog also includes updates from my 2 months traveling across Africa, Asia and Australia in June/July 2009.

To start at the beginning, click on ‘April 2008′ in the right-hand column. This is where the journey begins

I hope and pray that you are inspired, challenged and encouraged by the words you read and the photos you see. This world is an absolutely amazing place and while there were certainly some difficult moments, I loved every minute of it. God has been so gracious to me in allowing me to be a part of His bigger story and for that I am eternally grateful.

I’m back in the US living in Austin, Texas [ah, the beauty] and working as the Marketing Coordinator for Watoto USA. I’ll be keeping a new blog that you can check out at sydneyberry.wordpress.com.

Thanks for visiting. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to get involved with Watoto. I love sharing about this wonderful ministry that is rescuing orphans and raising up future leaders in Uganda. Enjoy!

you are blessed

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

“Not only that – count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbabe.

“Here’s another way to put it. You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:1-16, The Message//Remix

This was what I read this morning in my time with God. Wow, I can’t imagine a better word for my life right now. I am so very blessed, and I believe that as each of us experience God’s love through others, through this wonderful community of the global Church, we will be healthy and whole and able to encourage and inspire others to seek out their purpose and unique role in this world… seek out the way they can bring out the God-flavors and God-colors in this earth.

Be encouraged. You are blessed — if you don’t feel blessed, read through the above passage again and find what’s missing. The blessing is there, you may just not be experiencing it. Draw close to God, Creator, Maker of all things. He’s there, just waiting to pour out love and blessing into your life. He’s there, ready and waiting.

purpose

It’s going to be difficult to describe in these words the utter joy and exhilaration that the last 2 months have held in my journey, this life that I live each day. But I’m not really one to back down from a challenge, so here goes.

The last time I updated my blog, I was in Sydney, Australia. My decision to go to Sydney for this year’s Hillsong Conference was actually the catalyst to my trek from Uganda across the Far East. A few of my previous blogs have stories and photos from some of my stops, but here are a few more of my favorites from Asia:

From Hong Kong to Thailand to Tokyo, I had such an incredible time just soaking up the different cultures. I was pretty much up for anything and I was not disappointed! A couple of the major highlights were the Mae Sa Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the world’s largest fish market in Tokyo. I woke up before 5am to get there to see the market at it’s peak activity time… And for those of you who know me, I more often go to sleep at 5am over waking up that early. Yes, I’m a major night owl. Hoot.

My amazing friend Momoko hosted me in Tokyo and then was my traveling buddy in Sydney and Brisbane. She is such an incredible example of a hard worker that is constantly putting others ahead of herself and always seeing where she can be a blessing. I’ve been so inspired by her and am eternally grateful for her friendship. She’s also our Watoto Japan Tour Coordinator and does such an amazing job! I really don’t know how she does all she does… She must have a twin because I don’t think it’s humanly possible.

Hillsong Conference in Sydney: One word… UNBELIEVABLE. The worship, the teaching, the Spirit’s presence, the people. I mean, I was just blown away. My heart was so full of joy and God’s love the entire time and it really hasn’t changed since. Often times, conferences can kindof serve as a “spiritual high” and then real life then takes its place. But with this conference, it showed so clearly what real life SHOULD look like. Constant connection with God; overflowing love, peace,joy. These don’t have to be rare occurances. These are the things that followers of Christ SHOULD be experiencing on a regular basis, a daily basis, an hourly basis. Please don’t confuse this with happiness or a state of euphoric emotion and feelings. Emotions are a wonderful gift, but they can be wildly misleading at times. This is why it is so important to constantly return to the Truth of God’s Word in Scripture.

I’ll share more about things I learned while in Sydney, but I’m going to jump ahead a bit to keep this entry from getting too long [I know I have a tendency to do that…]

After leaving Sydney, I headed to New Zealand for about a week and then back to the United States of America, land of the free and the home of the brave. Home sweet home. After a short visit to LA and San Diego catching up with some wonderful friends, I flew to what would be my new home: Atlanta, Georgia.

I chose to move to Atlanta back in about February of this year when I felt led to move back to the US. I had such incredible peace about this decision. My reason for choosing Atlanta was based on the start of Passion City Church. Passion is an organization and a movement that has been encouraging and empowering college students to engage in true worship of our great God by living out their faith in very practical ways. That vision expanded last year when Passion went on their first World Tour. I’ve been to several Passion Conferences in the last 8 years and have really connected with their vision and purpose. When I heard about the start of the church and then decided to move back to the US, it all just seemed so natural. It was the right choice. I could feel that deep down in my gut and I haven’t questioned the decision once. I’ve just been amazed at how God’s been using me and leading me every step of this new journey.

And I believe this journey will continue on that path as I seek the Lord each day and trust in His goodness and indescribable love for me and for each person I interact with. I am thankful for opportunity I’ve had to travel and visit so many amazing places across our beautiful planet. But more than anything, I’m thankful for the lessons I learn each day from friends, from strangers, from a song, an article, a verse, in prayer and in conversation, and direct from heaven itself. We have an awesome God, Creator of all things, Lover of my soul, beautiful in every way. If you don’t know this God, His name is Jesus Christ and I’d love to introduce you. You can email me anytime here.

I have to throw in here a HUGE thanks to everyone who hosted me, drove me, fed me, and loved me in your selflessness during these last few months. It is a trip that I will remember for the rest of my days, here in the physical and beyond. My heart is so full and I love each of you very much. I pray God’s blessing over your life and that you would experience a daily connection with Him. If you are ever in Atlanta [or wherever else I may live in the years following], mi case es su casa. Always.

just some thoughts

Run against the wind. Swim against the current. Travel uphill. Choose to be stretched. It’s the only way to grow. Never stop growing.

Be spontaneous. Surprise someone with a smile, a compliment, a conversation. Make someone’s day. Live this day like it’s never happened before because it hasn’t. Nothing will ever be the same.

Respect your body, your mind, your soul. Be choosy about what you let inside. It shows.

Take time to reminisce. But don’t spend too much time remembering and not enough time making the memories.

Balance. Breathe. Stretch. Smile. Sing. Fly. Laugh. Love. Live. And you will look back and know you have.

hong kong

My world trip is well underway and it’s been an incredible journey already. Each day I am so thankful for friends in far places and the opportunity to experience new cultures and meet people from wildly different backgrounds from myself. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that no matter where I go, I can always find some common ground with the people I meet – especially in the global Church. I love my global family and revel in being able to rejoice in times of success and mourn in times of loss. That’s what family is about.

I arrived in Hong Kong and was met by my friend Tim who I hadn’t seen in about 7 years! I couldn’t believe it had been that long… but then again, he had 2 children now, both of which I had never met. We jumped in a cab and arrived at their “resort” apartment complex. I only say that because it had a very tropical name and it sat right near the water. From the outside, they were fairly comparable to condos in Gulf Shores or Destin. Thankfully they didn’t have shell art and dolphin-shaped sofas on the interior.

When we got in, Tim and Cindy’s two little girls were sound asleep, but I was able to catch up with them about the last 7 years. It was so good. It’s amazing all that has happened! And it always adds an extra level of connection to friends that have moved outside of what’s comfortable and lived abroad to be involved in ministry. Tim works for Island ECC, an English-speaking church as co-worship leader and with media. He worked with the youth for his first 4 years.

My first outing was to see the Big Buddha. That lasted all of about 30 minutes seeing as the humidity index was 176%. Fact: Hong Kong’s weather is BRUTAL in the summertime. I’m not exactly sure how people make it from one air-conditioned building to another without passing out from heat exhaustion. Although I have to say, it was pleasantly cool compared to Dubai.

*Warning: Tourist alert!

Tim had a gig with his band, the Jeff Caylor Band, the Friday after my arrival. I tagged along with him to his band practice, which was held in one of the coolest studios I’ve ever been in. The studio belongs to the drummer, Jon. He rents it out for people to practice/record and he also works with some photographers that share the space. Jon also has a lot of photography toys [a Canon 5D and a collection of lenses/flashes] that he let me play with while they were practicing. I was in photog heaven. I had a great time hanging out with the guys there and at the Fringe club afterwards. They played a great show and then the band that followed, Good Fellas, was pretty incredible. Tim didn’t peel his eyes away from the stage during their entire set. They were certainly an entertaining bunch. The lead singer was wearing a Ramones-esque suit and the guitarist liked to randomly scream and ended every song with ‘Thank you, we’re Good Fellas’. I mean, how can you go wrong with that?

The following night, Jeff performed at a Michael Jackson cover show at Grappa’s Cellar with 5 other artists. Each band/artist had to cover 2 MJ songs and then play one of their own. It was quite the eclectic mix: rock, singer/songwriter, acappella, big band… they were all in there. And the adaptations of the songs were phenomenal. Definitely an enjoyable evening.

After a quick breakfast and chat with Sunny from Watoto HK, I attended Island ECC for the later morning service. Tim was “mad” at me for going to the second floor where Jeff led worship rather than going to the first floor where he led. Of course, I didn’t realized Tim was leading – and even if I did, I might’ve gone to the second floor anyway since that was the one everyone kept raving about. And for good reason – it’s pretty sweet. I also kinda dozed off during the Church News segment, which Tim puts together every week. So, yes, I’m a bad friend. There, I’ve admitted it. Thankfully Tim has a big heart and forgave me of my sins.

After church, I met some new people – some of which were going to be heading to Uganda to volunteer with Watoto – and so we had Dim Sum for lunch and then had a long chat over foot massages. Why didn’t I think of that? Oh wait, I think I did. Good one, Sydney!

My trip to HK was brief but so very good thanks to old friends and new ones. My first stop on my first trip to Asia – unforgettable! I hope I can make it back someday and explore a bit more of the Hong Kongese culture. Click here to see more photos from my trip.

Next stop: The land of Thai.

cape town

My first stop on my world trip was Cape Town, South Africa. On my flight from Uganda, I had a layover in Johannesburg and I made it as long as I could so that I could see my friend Sue. She picked me up from the airport and we stopped by her house on our way to lunch. I love her house! So open and it’s got lots of different rooms at different levels – not to mention an absolutely gorgeous view. Both her and her husband are creatives, so the art and décor of the house was fantastic. Since both of them have traveled extensively [both separately and together], there was an array of art pieces from around the world. I was certainly getting some ideas for when I decorate my place in Atlanta.

At lunch, Sue’s friend Gary came to meet us and he brought a copy of his book ‘Manzovo – Place of the Elephants’, an epic tale of wildlife in Southern Africa. The paintings in the book were done by Craig Bone, an artist from Zimbabwe that now lives in Florida. It was so great meeting Gary and hearing about all of the exciting things happening with his writing career and with the book. He’s written a second book and Craig is working on the illustrations now. You can buy a copy of Manzovo at www.30degreesouth.co.za.

When I arrived in Cape Town, my new friends Becky & Nadine picked me up from the airport [traffic held them up and I was starting to think they had forgotten me!] and I stayed at Nadine’s flat. The girls work at Life Church in Cape Town, a church very involved in their local community as well as in work around Africa. It was such a blessing getting to meet members of the staff there, visit a small group and hear about the ministry they have in Cape Town. My friend Carita is working with the pastor to build a Watoto village to rescue orphans in South Africa – such an exciting time for Watoto and for Life Church.

My first 3 days were completely cloud-covered, cold and rainy – so much so that I couldn’t even see the city’s famous Table Mountain! Thankfully it cleared up on Saturday and I had 3 days of clear, sunny skies. I have to say – Cape Town may have the most beautiful coast line I’ve seen yet. Carita and I went for a bike ride along the coast my last day there and it was stunning.

Carita invited me to see her friend’s band play — the band’s name is Straatligkinders, which is Afrikaans for ‘Street Light Children’. When I first got to the church where they were playing, I definitely felt out of place because I was about an average of 10 years older than the crowd. But I ended up really enjoying myself. It helped that I had my camera.

Visiting from University of Arizona’s Chi Alpha group was a team volunteering with Life Church’s projects in Cape Town and surrounding areas. I had such a blast getting to know this little diverse crew. We took a trip up to Signal Hill to take in a breathtaking view of the city. We also visited another church in Table View for their evening service on Saturday. I met a guy named Vuyo who I took an instant liking to – he had such a contagiously positive attitude! We could use more people like that in the world and he is an inspiration to me.

My last day I spent some time with my friend Alan who had volunteered in Uganda for 2 months with Watoto. It was really great seeing him and hearing about all that God’s been doing in his life. We visited these great little beaches – they felt like private beaches but Alan informed me that there are no private beaches in Cape Town. Crazy! That evening I attended the Hillsong Cape Town evening service and Christine Caine from Hillsong Sydney spoke. It was a powerful message about forgiveness [being able to forgive ourselves to enable us to forgive others] and about surrender. It was my first time to hear her speak and I felt incredibly privileged to be there that night.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with Cape Town and I look forward to the next time I can visit. I hope to stick around a bit longer and really take in more of the city and the people. The vibe reminded me of California – laid back and alive, full of excitement and opportunity. I believe there are great things to come for Cape Town and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to experience it. Who knows where it could take me?

Coming up next – Hong Kong.

last days in uganda

I finished up my role as graphic designer at the Watoto head office on May 15. My last two weeks in Uganda were spent wrapping up final projects, meeting with different staff members to get as much up-to-date info on happenings at Watoto, enjoying times with friends at some of my favorite Kampala spots, and soaking up some sun before heading to chilly winter Cape Town.

Here are a few highlights from my last days in Uganda:

Watoto Book Photo Shoots 

A writer, art director, and photographer came up from South Africa to interview and photograph for a book their team are putting together to tell the story of Watoto. I was able to host our wonderful guests and play an integral part in the overall book project. It was a very busy week, but an absolutely wonderful experience. I truly enjoyed my time with Sue, Paul, and Horst and look forward to seeing the final book.

Meeting Edward’s New Baby

My co-worker and fellow Watoto designer, Edward, and his wife Faith had a little girl about a month before my departure from Uganda. A couple friends and myself visited Edward’s home and got to meet his little sweetheart, Tephila [or “Tephy”]. She has incredible parents and I know that she will grow up surrounded by God’s love.

 

Visit to a Living Hope Small Group

Living Hope is a Watoto ministry that restores dignity to vulnerable women, all of which are HIV positive and have been struggling to support their families. Through the program, these women now have access to ARVs [for HIV/AIDS maintenance] and job training to develop skills in sewing and bead-making. During my last week in Uganda, I visited one of the small groups led by a lady that works in the Living Hope Sewing Studio at Watoto Church Central in Kampala named Jolly. She is an absolutely beautiful woman with a huge heart. I’m so glad I was able to visit the group and can’t wait to hear more about their progress and growth in their relationships with God and each other.

Speaking to Ladies at Samaritan’s Purse Event

My friend Roxanne works for an organization called Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit similar to Watoto that helps the less fortunate to learn skills, find jobs, and support their families. Roxanne asked me one morning if I would be interested in speaking to a group of women about the Creator God – how the creativity God has placed in each of us can be used in practical ways to enhance our quality of life as well as return the glory to Him who gave us our ability to create, since we are created in His image. I joined Roxanne and some of her co-workers for lunch at their office and setup as the ladies began to pour in. By the end of the time, there were around 70 ladies! It was such a blessing to be a part of the session and to share what God had placed on my heart for the women. It was a challenge to get through my message since it was being translated into 3 different languages! I had to choose my words carefully because I didn’t want to overwhelm the translators. One of my favorite moments of the afternoon was when one of the ladies began nursing her twin babies at the same time! [Yes, I took a photo, and No, I won’t put it up on here…]

Final Visit to Bbira Village

The Watoto girl that I sponsor is named Saphina – an absolute angel. I went to visit Saphina and her family one last time before leaving Kampala. I joined the family for lunch and then we played some card games. We had a great time. Saphina’s mom’s biological daughter showed me a few photos from year’s back. It was so fun seeing photos of Saphina when she was younger. I wanted to remember so badly that I even took pictures of the pictures! I will miss visiting Saphina, but I know we will stay in touch through letters. It’s such an amazing opportunity to see her grow up into a beautiful young lady and to encourage her to stay connected to Christ and trust Him for everything. I believe that God will use her in mighty ways in her lifetime.

The Farewell Party

I have such amazing friends that I’m really going to miss. My two closest friends in Uganda and flatmates [consequently] threw together a farewell party where friends from work and outside of work came to see me off in style… and I do mean “in style”. The décor and the finger food were fabulous – not to mention the tear-inducing speeches and recap presentation that brought back some incredible memories [and maybe just a few not-so-incredible memories]. I felt so loved and I’m thankful for great friends and for the priceless opportunity to live in Uganda for a year and join the vision of Watoto. Thankfully I get to continue working for that vision full-time back in the US!

That’s a brief recap of my last few weeks in Uganda. I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along with me on the journey of this past year and I also hope that you will continue to journey along with me as I travel across some amazing cities on my way back to the States. I’ll be traveling down to South Africa, over to Asia and Australia, and then stop through LA before getting to Atlanta by end July. Come back soon for updates from Cape Town, SA, one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world! Thanks for reading. I hope you’re encouraged and inspired to do something out of the ordinary today! No matter where you are in the world, you have the opportunity to make somebody’s day – touch somebody’s life – share love through a smile, a gift, a word. Be the person you want to meet today.

a poem

A fire lingers in the air;
The scent of singe makes its way through my body,
leaving an impression that magnifies its source.

The ashes surround my bound feet;
I awaken to a flame getting nearer,
its heat getting hotter,
the sound rising up to my burning ears.

no panic – only peace;
how can this be?
Joy where there should be fear,
rest where there should be escape.
I am safe in the arms of my Father.

Whether death or life,
Both are life to me.

– smb

kpc becomes watoto church

Photos from the 25th Birthday Event by Waswa Moses & James Ssekajja

This most recent Easter marked the 25th Birthday of KPC, Kampala Pentecostal Church – the church that I’ve been working for in Kampala for the last year and the home of Watoto Child Care Ministries. KPC has been – and continues to be – a place for Ugandans to connect with God, connect with other believers, and serve God by serving their community. It is a church full of life that has impacted the city of Kampala and the country of Uganda in countless ways for the last quarter-century.

After tireless hours of going back and forth about what the next step was for the church, the leadership settled upon the new name – Watoto Church – which carries along with it the reputation of Watoto, the 15-year-old ministry that has radically changed the lives of 1700+ orphans and thousands of vulnerable women, as well as reached its arms across the world through the Watoto Children’s Choir to share God’s love and the message of HOPE for Africa.

Before I get any further, please watch this powerful video that played at the 25th Birthday Celebration on Saturday, April 11, 2009, to unveil the new church name and logo.

I had the tremendous opportunity to design and assist in compiling a book that shares the history of KPC, the last 25 years and all of the stories and miracles that come along within those years. The book also outlines the vision for the future as ‘Watoto Church’. It was a challenging project and was completed under extremely tight deadlines, but I was amazed at how the book came together so quickly. I believe it absolutely captures the heart of Watoto Church and where it is headed. Below are a few spreads from the book, but you can view the entire book in a new window in PDF format by clicking here.

The book was made available for sale at the 25th Birthday Celebration and is still available at the church until copies run out. I’m hoping to get a reprint done in the US and also hoping to make the books available in each of the countries where Watoto has offices [US, Canada, UK, and Australia]. Here you can see Gary talking about the book and preparing for the unveiling of the new church name to the approximately 15,000 people in attendance.

I wasn’t in Kampala for the many celebratory days leading up to Easter, but I was ecstatic to hear of the great response from the city and the congregation regarding the new name and that everyone had a great time at the event. I am just so incredibly thankful to God that I am a part of such a loving, growing, and life-giving community – a community that is African at the heart, but growing into a global community of people that are living lives that bear fruit. Lives that are willing to truly live out the radical message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lives identified by joy, peace, selflessness, and service. Lives that accurately reflect the genuine love of a big and glorious Creator God. I never want to live a lukewarm life.

If you are feeling a bit static in your walk with God or just need a little slap in the face regarding practically living out your faith, I strongly recommend the book ‘Crazy Love’ by Francis Chan. Francis is the pastor of a dynamic and growing church in Simi Valley, California, that has become known for their reckless [and faithful] giving. A staggering statistic that I learned while reading the book was that the church, which started about 12 years ago, gave away 4% of their budget to charity-related activities. Presently, Cornerstone gives an incredible 55% of their budget away and they continue to see God provide and grow their church. What an incredible testimony to God’s goodness, right? And just another confirmation that we truly cannot outgive God!

I hope that you’ve been inspired to take a step back from your life and ask yourself, “Am I living the way God wants me to live? Completely and utterly surrendered to Him?” If not, why not? What can you do to change that? If you ever just need someone to bounce thoughts off of, I’m here. Seriously. Please do not even hesitate to send me an email. I would LOVE to share some of the things God’s been showing me over this past year. Life is just too short to live without purpose or direction… and we’re not promised tomorrow. Make this day count. And if this day is over for you, start fresh tomorrow. Every morning is a new chance to begin living a full and abundant life with God.

my visit home

I am in awe at how quickly my time in the US passed by. It’s been an incredible month of seeing friends and family, sharing stories, experiences, and the growing passion in my heart for Uganda and the work that God is doing there through Watoto, and just having a blast enjoying all of God’s goodness in my life. I am so thankful for where He’s placed me in His bigger picture and I sometimes can’t believe just how lucky I am. Life is good.

I arrived home to Louisiana on April 1 and headed to Tampa, Florida, to spend some time with the Watoto USA Director and his wife, Eugene and Glenda Stutzman. They are such a great couple and I’m very excited about working with them come August. So – a little update on that:

Around December/January, I really felt God leading me to move back to the US after my year in Uganda would be complete in May. I wrote up a description of what I would do in the US to promote Watoto and also a few initiatives I was very interested in getting started, including the Watoto Art initiative [more on that to come later]. After speaking to Solange [Watoto Marketing Director] and Alan [Watoto CEO] about this, they were extremely encouraging and felt that it was definitely something that would be an incredible asset to raising Watoto’s visibility in the US. In early February, Alan sent along my job description to Eugene to get his thoughts. Eugene wrote back to say that the US Board of Directors had just approved a Marketing/PR position that was very similar to the job I had described. God is amazing, isn’t He?? I love the way He orchestrates things independently and then puts all of the pieces into place as we walk in unity with Him and His calling.

After talking to Eugene about the position and connecting with the direction that Watoto is headed, we agreed that it would be an excellent match. I’m extremely excited about the opportunity and am ready for all that God has in store. I have a lot to learn in the next couple months, but I feel confident that I’m in the right place. I have such peace, abundant joy and an unquenchable fire for the work of Watoto and my place in it.

After my time in Florida, I headed to my annual family reunion over Easter weekend. The tradition started about 45 years ago… 20 years before I was born and we’re still going strong! The family of course just keeps getting bigger and bigger, but I love seeing my fam. The last 2 years have been particularly special since, last year, I was about to leave for my year in Uganda, and then this year I was able to share about my experience and the way my life has changed for the better as well as the clarity of vision and purpose that God has placed in my heart and life. Plus I got to spend some time with my adorable little nephew who had grown SO MUCH over the year. He’s a big boy – 15 months and nearly 30 lbs!

After the reunion, I spent some time in Louisiana visiting friends and family and then drove to my favorite city in the US [possibly in the world], Austin, TX. I lived in Austin for 3 years before moving to Uganda, so it has a very special place in my heart. I threw a little party at my old house so that I could see friends and share experiences and photos from the past year while also telling people about what the future held for me. I got a little teary-eyed speaking about it over the mic [I had to use a mic because my poor voice was practically gone and I knew that if I kept trying to talk over the music, I wouldn't have a voice at all]. I’m so thankful for all of the wonderful people that I’ve met and friends that I’ve made in Austin. They are incredibly encouraging and supportive. *Sniff*.

Click here for more photos from my trip!

From Austin, I headed on a road trip with my friends Jimmy McNeal and Esther Havens, two very cool and very talented people. Jimmy is an amazing singer and Esther is an incredible photographer. Keep your ears open – I’m sure this won’t be the last time you hear their names. We drove about 14 hours [thanks to the many stops we made along the way] up to Nashville, TN, for the GMA Dove Awards. We had such a great and crazy time. The highlights were Steven Curtis Chapman performing ‘Cindrella’ [very emotional], chatting with Kirk Franklin at the afterparty, and meeting a girl named Sarah who is super fun and probably going to be a friend for life now.

So that about wraps up my trip. It couldn’t have come at a better time. It was relaxing, inspiring, encouraging, and gave me such confidence and clarity that this next step I’m taking is the right one. I’ll be in Atlanta in August, so if there are any people that I need to meet there or if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears! I’ll try to be better about keeping this updated more regularly. Two last notes: get on Twitter and check out www.watoto.com/watoto360!