Praise the Lord

WAAAA HOOO!

So maybe I shouldn’t be so excited but I totally am…. I now have internet in my room. Wow. Thank the Lord for this wonderful blessing. I feel like I will now be a little more connected and able to talk with and keep up with people. The wait was because the internet that is cheap enough for my budget was based on this phone and cord that were no longer on the market, meaning that you had to find them on the black market. In all honesty I don’t even know where to begin to look for something on the black market here… but graciously the Lord provide a way and a person with connections and now I am happily sitting on my bed and adding this post!! God is good.

So PLEASE download skype and add me to your list. My user name is natalierolf (note that there is no “e” on my last name here)

ALSO--- I have felt the favor of the Lord and His gracious hand giving me patience and guidance for the past 3 months while I have been applying for my work permit for Uganda. Upon entering the country I was told that beyond my visa I would also need a work permit. Dismissing the idea for a few months, the Lord impressed upon my heart the need to go through the technicalities of the government, especially if I wanted to return for another year (which I am). So, where to begin. Who knows. You would think they would give you a paper upon entering the country with what the steps would be for this required permit… but no. Nothing. God moment #1… But I did meet the Mzungu church of Christ group and having had many workers come in for years, they had a beautiful document that said all the needed requirements and then a step by step detailed instruction of the process. And it has definitely been a process: 3 months from the initial turning in, 4 trips to Kampala, 1 rejection, 3 come back laters, 300k more shillings than expected and one rude lady who told me with great attitude, “Honey, can’t you see it is lunch break and we will NOT see you now.” I could go into all the details, but it is probably a bit boring. God moment #2… when I first turned in the documents they rejected them, saying I needed an official letter from GICF requesting the immigration office to grant me a work permit. God knew and this week Mr. Rob (the pres of GICF) was in Uganda and able to do that for me. God moment #3… I had a friend come in on Thursday evening, allowing me the daytime to pay for my permit and she left on Sunday night, allowing me Monday to pick up the big cahoona. God moment #4… the work permit was 300 thousand more shillings then I had planned for, but my Provider knows and I had brought extra money to pick up my friend and Mama and Pastor were in Kampala, allowing me to borrow the balance until we got home. I will admit it was stressing though and for some reason I had taken my Visa card out of my wallet so I really had no option but His provision. Funny moment… after paying the work permit fee at the bank, you return an hour later to wait in a huge crowd of people for the lady behind the counter to call your name. I could only giggle to myself and smile while thinking, “Surely there is a more efficient way to do this than us being crammed like sardines straining to hear our names so we don’t get passed by.” After about 30 min and hearing nothing, wondering whether my name had already been called, a lady came and asked for all the receipts of those who had paid before 1pm. I think I paid at 12:55 so I thought I would give it to her and try. Sure enough, God provided again and I quickly got my official receipt and was able to leave the sardine can. God moment #5… I returned Monday, knowing full well that the lady had said it wouldn’t be ready until Wednesday, despite my pleas of coming from far. But I had been praying for the Lord’s favor all weekend and once again, He shined down upon me. As I arrived at noon, like expected, my permit had not been finished. In my sweetest and most pathetic tone I tried explaining to the guy that I came from far and was returning today. He told me to come back at 2. Well I arrive at 2:45 and it was still not done… needing to be leaving to for the bus park in 15 minutes. All in all, the Lord poured out His favor through these officials and I now have my long awaited work permit!!! Praise the Lord. I know that although at times it was trying and frustrating and a very long wait, the Lord showed me such grace though it all and I rejoice that I have been able to pave the way for other missionaries that come long term to work with the church here or LCH. Praise God that He uses all situations.

PRAYERS:

LCH’s administrator’s daughter, Nelly, had emergency brain surgery Thursday morning. Obviously emergency brain surgery is never good but it was especially shocking to all because we were all thinking she was suffering from Malaria and that is what she was being treated for. But, again, I have seen God’s grace and hand through so much of the situation. She was taken to Kampala on Tuesday, still thinking that it was Malaria that refused to be healed. By Wednesday night she wasn’t speaking, lost movement in her right arm, and was convulsing. Thursday morning, after the CAT scan revealing pus on the brain nerves, they did surgery, not knowing what the outcome would be. As of this morning, she has been able to turn herself, she can feel pricks in her fingers, and when they were drawing her blood she was crying and the doctors told her to cry out to her mom before they would stop. Sure enough she cried, “Mama, mama!” What a huge step. Please continue to pray for Nelly’s full and complete recovery, for the doctors to know more of what caused this, for peace for the parents, and for smoothness at LCH as the administrator is away. God’s hand is over this girl. Praise Him for that.