Take Away

It's been about three weeks since we've been back from Uganda and Rwanda. We've adjusted back to our busy lives fairly easily. This trip was very different than our last one to Africa. South Africa left me feeling a little depressed and hopeless that the little I was able do there on the ground would change anything. However, it also left me with a sense of urgency to do more once I got back, not just in South Africa, but in all things. We began working with a refugee family in San Antonio that came to be like part of our family. That stirred in us doing missions work full time. We struggled to find where that place was and within a few months, we knew where God was pulling.

Our lives changed drastically after that South Africa trip, but this East Africa trip was so different. We knew there would be no drastic game plan for us when we returned to the States. We were coming back to Chamblee to continue our work with Communicycle and Open Table Community Church. This trip, instead of breaking me down and opening my eyes to pain in this world, lifted my spirits up. I experienced joy and hope. We saw God working and changing the plans of our trip so artfully like a potter molding his clay and it was a beautiful masterpiece starting to take form. I came back ready to serve more faithfully, work harder to get to know those our community, love deeper those who surround us, and let go a little more the plans I had for my life to allow God to rearrange his clay to his liking.

This Saturday, we will set up Communicycle Clarkston. From our first week in Atlanta we knew we wanted a Communicycle shop there, but we couldn't see how to make it happen. Within the last few months, that dream has finally come to fruition and it is a joy knowing this is not something we did. All the pieces fell into places little by little and it is truly the work of God.

We will never forget Rwanda and Uganda. It has changed how we see this world and how we love people. It has fine tuned our work here in Atlanta, given us new fervor in our purpose and we are thankful for the chance to grow.