The Love Story Prayer Request Day 3

Psalm 17  Day 3 of the Love Story

I praise you for your lovingkindness (verse 7) How I love that I am the apple of your eye Lord. It is what every woman wants...to be wanted. Hide me Lord in the shadow of your wings (verse 8)

My sweet friend Teresa, from life group, prayed over both Lawren and I as we left group this past Sunday....she reminded us we were "tucked under His wing".

May those whom the Father crosses my path in Kampala, Banda, or Kisoro  be told has well how precious and safe they are in His arms.

Counting on your prayers.

Love, Pam

The Love Story Prayer Request Day 2

Psalm 16..Day 2 of the Love Story

I praise you Father for you are my refuge (verse1) You are my portion and my cup; you support my lot (verse 5)

Along with me, please thank the Lord for His counseling...He instructs us even in the night (verse 7)

I thank the Lord for a beautiful heritage (verse 6)...not only my earthly heritage but my kingdom heritage as well.

Help me Lord to be an encouragement to the people of Africa as I share these truths.

Counting on your prayer.

Love, Pam

The Love Story Prayer Request Day 1

From Psalm 15, today please pray for the Uganda team and my family at home. Even better pray it for yourself..

May we walk with integrity and speak truth in our heart in order to abide with the Lord.

Counting on your prayers.

Love, Pam

The Love Story Continues here at home.

The time is finally here. It is 4 a.m. I will get little sleep today but will be on a plane to Uganda in less than 8 hours.

I suspect in spite of my excitement, the hardest part of leaving is not being at college with my Mary on Friday as she sets up her new dorm room, gets her books from the college bookstore, and settles into a new way of life.

But the worst part is I can't even call. I will most likely just recently landed and begun ministry as Mary takes off for Snead State.

I guess this the place where the rubber meets the road in regards to our faith. Do I really believe that God orchestrated this for me to be away.

Yes.

Do I understand it.

No.

Is it a big deal.

Yes.

Can He handle it.

Yes.

Father,

May you be all that you are to me to my sweet Mary as well. May your presence surround her as well as us as we go, individually and collectively to make disciples in both Boaz, AL and Kampala,
Uganda.

Thank you that you are an Omnipresent God...present everywhere all the time.

Thank you that time has no boundaries in your economy. A day is like a thousand years to you.

So it really doesn't matter that we will be 8 hours ahead. You have got  it all covered and we are all tucked under your wing.

And as the love story of Simon and Aggie will continue in Kampala, the Graves family love story continues as well. God is at work in each of His families restoring, blessing, and gracing each of our lives.

Thanks God for continuing to care for all the details of our lives.

I love you and applaud you and my family for their loving support of making this dream a reality for me.

I can't wait to share more when I return.

Thanks to each of you who have prayed, will continue to pray, and even given financially.

You are a blessing.

Love, Pam

The Love Story Continues...meet Sharon and Lawren

It's only five days until we take off for Uganda. Even counting the days on my fingers gets butterflies going in my stomach and quickens my heart rate. Even coming off a phenomenal family vacation to the beach I can't remember a time when I have been so excited about something. I wonder often if how I feel parallels Habakkuk..the old testament prophet who said, "I stand at the ramparts, waiting." It is with the same anticipation I wait for Wednesday to get onto that plane.

Many of you know I have a heart for moms and ministry to moms. It was three years ago I began a Mom Heart group here at the local YMCA, which has included outreach to both moms and children.  I am privileged to contribute my mom heart also at www.momheart.org

Part of the blessing of being a mom is the opportunity to teach and do missions together as a family. We typically participate in whatever we can to be the hands and feet of Christ whether it is sharing with a neighbor or going somewhere else to serve.

It was about three years ago that my oldest daughter Lawren dedicated her life to christian ministry. She spent six months after graduating from high school in Berlin with YWAM in a discipleship training school. Today her plans are to return there in May for a  two year commitment using her gift of dance to minister. She is about to launch a six month period of sharing her dream inviting others to come on board as supporters. She is currently serving at Life's Journey church as a mission's intern. Here is Lawren with Aggie Paech on her recent trip to Uganda in February.

Nothing sweeter to a momma than a child's heart sold out to the Lord.

But something also exciting has been happening in Uganda in the Paech family. Sharon, Aggie's oldest daughter, has been part of a song talent show similar to our American Idol. The competition is over now. Although Sharon was not the top winner, she performed outstanding and make it to the top six.

You will never guess who she dedicated her final original song to......HER MOM. You can read more of the explanation of the song at www.ugandajourney.org Simon explains in the video blog why so many women in Uganda can relate to Sharon's song about mothers. I know I can relate as a single mom as well.

However, whatever your situation is, what a privilege and responsibility it is to disciple your children. I simply cannot write all the hardships that Aggie has shared regarding her abusive marriage and raising her family without a husband. Here is the house Aggie raised her 5 kids in:

In spite of dire circumstances, Aggie Paech trusted the promises of God to be true. The Father has been restoring and redeeming what was lost for Aggie. Part of this process of restoration is the blessing of Godly children.

Enjoy Sharon's video and may you, as well, take seriously the call to make disciples of your children.
Be a part of this story of redemption by clicking on the paypal button along the right side of blog. We are still raising support.

Excited and anticipating,

Pam

The Love Story Continues with Aggie's Arts

It is only 10 days until we depart for Africa. On my heart for the past few days have been the ladies from Banda. Many of these ladies escaped the abusive rule of warlord Joseph Kony by fleeing south.

The Ugandan government created a place for them in Banda near a rock quarry where many worked.

Aggie Paech, the missionary in Kampala introduced these ladies to a new way of life not only in Christ but also through Aggie's Arts, a bead making industry allowing the ladies to provide for their basic needs and free them from the treacherous work in the quarry.

Please take a few moments to watch the video below describing the Aggie's Arts Ministry.

May I also introduce my sweet friend Amanda, who loves these ladies dearly. She loves them so much that she became the Aggie's Arts executive director. With the help of friends and ministry partners a website has been developed and you can visit them at www.aggiesarts.com  Recently, they were approved as a fair trade item, which should open even more doors to sell Aggie's Arts to help the women in Banda.

Amanda sporting her Aggie's Arts!

As you can tell by the video, these are women like you and me, who have families they are trying to support. They each have their own story to tell and I am looking forward to hearing them!

Many thanks to those of you who have taken the time to click on the paypal button to support us on our upcoming trip. For anyone still interested in helping, it's not too late! Several of us on the team still need   support to complete our fundraising. If you know someone who has a heart for missions feel free to share these stories here.

God has been at work long before this trip and even long before Simon and Aggie came on the scene. Yet, He invites us to join Him and the work He is doing there. Even if a trip to Africa is not on your radar, then maybe you can be on board by giving rather than going.

Either way, you are part of the love story and I am glad you've come along.

Love, Pam

More on the love story in Kisoro

I simply cannot wait to meet Pastor George and his family...mostly because of Lawren, my oldest daughter's experience there in February. As she described the beauty of Kisoro, she also shared the wonderful experience with Pastor George's family. "Mom, you are going to love it in Kisoro. Pastor George's family is just like ours. There are always people in and out of his house."

 In the last 24 hours, including the dishwasher repair man, there have been 14 people around at various times. I won't even start to count the stray dog and her puppies that my kids incessantly are sneaking into the house....or the new hamster that everyone is trying to adjust to since Squirt got out of his cage and went missing.

But there is one word that sums up my excitement about the whole trip: DISCIPLESHIP.

It might take the rest of my life for the reality to sink in that I get to to and make disciples of another nation. I get to participate in a river baptism similar to my own personal baptism. I get to share the importance of discipleship to both women and children.

See, the message is vital because I was one that fell through the cracks. Sure I had Godly people in and out of my life as a child but it wasn't until I wound up pregnant as a young single woman in Dodge City, Kansas right out of college that real discipleship began.

It was then that my church friend Meg began pressing into my life...asking the hard questions, showing up with dinner, inviting me over to hang out with her family, doing life together...all the while whispering the secrets of the kingdom of God to me. And although it was something totally new and even foreign to me, my soul latched on.

I don't want those women and children of Kisoro to fall through the cracks. If the Father allows, I want to whisper the secrets of the kingdom of God to them while I talk about the ministry of Christ and his disciples.

Would you please pray that their hearts be receptive and they too latch on. Furthermore, pray they go and make disciples in their own families and communities.

Yeah! I got the video to work. I hope it works for you as well. Enjoy and thank you for being a part of my love story.

Love, Pam




Please click on the paypal button to the right to give to our fundraising support for this upcoming trip.