A Legacy

Mom and I

My mother and mother-in-law

Beautiful mamacita in Tanzania

Mom and dad

A picture of David and I in Tanzania!

To my loving and wise mother
My humble, strong and godly father
My kind-hearted and bold brother
and my passionate and loyal sister...
I love you. 

 Women hold up families in Africa. There are so many courageous women here in Africa. David's mom, my mother-in-law is one of them. She is a "force of love" as my mom calls her and is just one of the best, most loving (yet strict) mothers out there! 

A few weeks ago my mom and dad were able to come to Uganda to visit our ministry (the kids of course love them to pieces!) and to then go with David and I for a week and a half to Tanzania to rest, spend time together as well as to see other ministries. It was such good time together and soooo restful! For my dad's birthday we were able to go on a little hike on the base of Mt Kilimanjaro. We were also able to walk downtown, see a cultural centers and a reptile exhibit. 

Being able to spend time with my mother was so renewing. I look up to her so much, the wisdom and courage that she has and the way that she loves everyone that comes across her path. When working with the boys, so often I have to stop and think, "What did mom do with us when we did .......?" or "What would mom do right now?" She gave me a perfect script for loving children unconditionally while at the same time requiring the best out of them. My mom has always been there for me and through this crazy journey of my life, she has been with me every step of the way.

 I can still remember sitting outside and crying as overwhelmed I talked to my mom about how big and scary and crazy it was that God had had me open a children's home full of a bunch of wild street boys (that I loved), or the times I have called her when terrible things had happened to the boys and I had no idea what to do. I remember telling her how in love I was with a man named David Kakeeto and the day that I sat her down with my dad to tell her that I felt called to be a missionary in Africa.  

My mother has taught me to be a godly woman, to love passionately and to care for the hearts of everyone around me, especially the man and children that I love.

It was also so good to spend time with my father. 

I have also heard that the girls will look for a husband who treats her the same way that her husband did. Luckily for David, my dad always treated me like a princess and so I, for everyday of my life have expected nothing less! I also grew up with an amazing twin brother who was my best friend in the world and also treated my like a princess. My dad and my brother grew up as men of integrity who not only treated women well but fought for them and protected them. In so many ways, they protected my heart until the day when I met the amazing man who was to be my husband. 

It is generally known in economics that if you want to help a developing country rise up economically, that the first thing that you must do is educate and empower the women. If it is men oppressing women, than it requires men to make the way for women to rise up. I am so blessed to have an amazing father who does this for women. He is not only a father to me but to so many other men here in Africa. I love the heart that he has in developing young men and for protecting women.

  I also love how close he and David are. 

All in all, it was a wonderful time in Tanzania with my parents and David. We got a lot of much needed rest, David and I had great time together and we also had a great time talking with my parents and planning for the ministry that God has ahead of us in the year to come. It also made me miss my (twin) brother Luke and sister Liz a lot as well, I am so close to them. It feels difficult being so far from them physically when we are so close in our heart, spirit, and the ministry that we all do, but I am looking forward to seeing them this coming Christmastime.