on the day in which the journey begins...

As I write this very first blog post I’m sitting on a plane destined for London. Leg 1 of the journey. I’ve been in the air for about 45 minutes now. I love that we flew over downtown Vancouver on the way up. Such a beautiful city, especially at night. The very fact that I’m on the way still seems very surreal. I made the decision to go back to Uganda well over a year ago, and so even though this trip has been a long time coming, departure day crept up quickly. The past couple of weeks have felt like a whirlwind of activity. Apparently there are a LOT of details to take care of when you move out of the country... even if it’s only a temporary move. 

I’ll admit that it’s a little strange to think that I don’t exactly know when I will be back in Canada again. Yet of all of the “unknown” details surrounding the next number of months, that is probably what I feel the most at peace about. Saying goodbye to friends and family and the places where I spend my days is certainly tough. But God absolutely graces me to walk through this door... thank goodness for that!

When I look back on the first 10 months of this year, I can’t help but be in awe of all that has transpired already. Let’s be real... there have been some incredibly tough moments to walk through. But there have also been many beautiful and life-changing moments too. And for all that I have learned up to this point, through the sweet and through the sorrow, my heart is forever grateful. 

Many years ago, one of my pastors said to me... “you should always be able to look back at the past 6 months of your life and see the way that you have grown”. More than ever, this has been a year of growth and change for me. And I see God’s hand at work through every season. 

And so with no house or car keys, my Canadian life packed up in a storage container, and three very full (okay, I admit it... OVER full) bags of luggage, the journey begins. I move to Uganda... the place that has stolen a piece of my heart. Not forever. But for a season. To love on little orphans that have been discarded by the very ones that should have loved them the most. To serve the nannies and staff at Watoto. To be careful enough to look for each and every God-opportunity to be an encouragement to someone else. I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces back in Uganda. To see some of the babies that I met on my last trip, who certainly are not babies anymore. To go and visit children from past Watoto choirs that I’ve had the privilege to get to know as they traveled across Canada on tour. 

But perhaps my greatest anticipation lies ahead in what I am going to discover about myself. I realize that the road ahead will not always be perfect and easy. But I also know that I do not walk the road alone. I arrive in Uganda next Sunday and start a whole new adventure. And I am determined that the best is certainly yet to come...

(send-off at the airport with wonderful friends)