A Different Kind of Africa

I have made it to Uganda! I loved it within the first 10 minutes, but trying to pace myself. We have 2 more days of traveling before we end up in my Ugandan home village of Kacheri.

Ya see, to get to Kacheri from the capitol of Kampala, first you drive 5 hours on paved roads. And then you drive 8 more hours on dirt roads. Kenneth says it's as far away from society that you can possibly get around here. 4 hours to the nearest running water source. 

I am with Kenneth and Kristi Williams, and their 7 children: Ezra, Izzy, Zion, Achuka, Selah, Veah, and Rikot. from ages 17 months to 8! I LOVE THEM!!! They are such an amazing family. I was showered with welcome cards and picked flowers from the children. Yesterday at the guest house, we fed bread to monkeys from our hands.We sat in the yard with about 12 of them. It was really awesome!! 


their blog is www.williamsinthewilderness.co
m if you'd like to read more about them. Kristi's sister, Kerri and her husband Andrew also live there, and their blog is http://www.joyofmine.blogspot.com/. It has pictures of Kacheri and my hut home! I am ready to be there. Living in village with the Ugandans, eating what they eat, living how they live, seeing how they see...

Ghana 2012

Just letting you know all is well here in Ghana! We have been doing different activities in the villages everyday, telling bible stories, vbs, bringing food to widows and orphans. At night we've been doing crusades in the surrounding villages, showing the Jesus film. For 3 nights we've had revival at shalom baptist. And let me tell ya, I'm not sure you've been revived til you've been to an African revival. Open air church with gravel floor. Stories shared of being beaten after converting to Christianity from their Muslim faith. Their dedication to the Lord is so strong and passionate. They worship with all of their heart. The ghanain believers have been such an encouragement and example to me of faith. Next to them I feel so humbled. Almost unworthy to even be worshipping the same God. We did a good news congress with 140 children. It's like a vbs day. I bandaged many little wounds :( they need so much more than I can give them. But God has been so good to me. I'm so thankful to be back here. 
I've seen clean water in a village that has never had water before, women rejoicing at the sight of food delivery, the most joyful children I've ever seen as they played with a water bottle, Ghanian believers sharing their faith with their Muslim neighbors, dancing and clapping and they worship the Lord...ahhhh so much more. More than I have time to descibe.
"Sometimes it is hard to leave where your heart is." -Pastor Mohammed
Wednesday the 8th (tomorrow), my team will head back to America and I will be flying to Uganda to start the next portion of this adventure. I will be there 3 months! Details to come :)

the Lord's plans prevail.

Here are some hightlights since the last time I blogged:

Built a snowman....or snow tower. Not to mention, I am surprisingly surviving winter out here in the West! It has been pretty mild, praise the Lord!















Bought a flower! An orchid named Lucy. Apparently they don't need much water, so I somewhat drowned her. But the lady I live with is reviving it. :)

















The Lord called me back to Ghana this summer!!!!!!! He has also opened many doors for me to speak and share to raise funds here in CO. I laid the financing part of the trip at His feet, because I told Him that I was minding my own business when He called me back to Ghana ;) He has been faithful, as always.












Skyped with my family over Thanksgiving! That was a HOOT!!! bahahah, too funny.












So, it's been a really awesome season here in Colorado. November to now I've been investing as much as I can into Feed My Sheep homeless center. I've started a bible study with the women and have been teaching the lesson on Sundays. They have truly become like a family to me, and best friends, even though they are twice my age, haha. I've gained about 30 uncles! Especially when they found out that I'm going to Africa this summer, can you imagine the lectures I've gotton! Of course, along with caring for people, comes heart ache as well. When they hurt, I hurt. When they are sad, I am sad. My heart goes out to the ones stuck in their pasts and their mistakes, addictions and failures. But when one gets a job, or rejoices, we all rejoice!!!

And so thankfully, my little sis came to CO during Christmas time!!!

9 more days until I move back to Louisiana, to be a nanny for 2 months! I'm VERY EXCITED to see Ruston friends, Georgetown friends and all my family! :)
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Since I've graduated, the Lord's purposed have been prevailing in my life to use me and to bring back closer to Him. From googling and getting the job in Utah, to quitting that job to work at Feed My Sheep, to unexpectedly getting to go back to Africa...His purpose prevails.

surprise!

well, I quit my job in the mountains, Utah to work full time here in Colorado at the homeless center, Feed My Sheep. It was bittersweet, because I loved wilderness therapy. I loved spending every other week on a mountain away from society. ha! such a simple life. and I LOVED my "wiggy", my -20 degree sleeping bag. It could be freezing but when you get in that wiggy it's like magic! It just gets warm in there. Even when I woke up to ice on the outside of it, haha.

I am SO blessed to be here at FMS. It was kind of like the Lord said, "Surprise Camille! You're right where I want you, and I want you here full time!" Ha! He snuck up on me and changed my plans. But it doesn't take very long at all for it to feel like home here at the homeless center. It's comfy with couches and and a living room feel. And the people here are so great. I wish you could meet Norm! We sit and read the funnies together and drink coffee with our creamer. He is a hoot! And Susan!! She is one of the most wonderful women I have ever met, she has a beautiful heart of a servant and is so encouraging! She has become one of my best friends.

In the mean time, the Lord is doing an incredible work in my heart. He is calling me back to a place of full surrender. "Offer me your whole heart...", he beckons.

Missing my fam during this Thanksgiving season. But I made some homemade banana pudding today that my mom makes every year. It was a taste of home :)

thanks for reading!

apparently i'm a "southern bell"...

hmmmm, where to start??
I worked a double on my last shift so was on the mountain for 2 1/2 weeks. you really learn a lot when you are stranded on a mountain with a group of juvenile delinquents. but it's totally worth it when a student tells you that you've really helped them through the week or you get to see change in them. so here are some memorable moments...

getting all 7 of my bow drill fires. ya know, starting fires with sticks and stuff..
learning about a place called Hoonah Island! 600 natives and 3,000 grizzley bears!!!
slept under the stars. it was INCREDIBLE! saw 9 shooting stars before I fell asleep...
saw an antelope!
met a girl that changed my life, Kenzie. She is a down to earth gal with a zest fore life :) She's the one who told me about Hoonah! She and her husband lived there for a month...until they were almost bear bait!
almost cut my finger off while carving a wooden spoon. then a fellow staff thought i was about to pass out so he stuffed skittles into my mouth...classic.
had a kid get away from camp without a staff. it was pretty scary...but he came back after being chased by a herd of cows. bahaha
had a student graduate from the program. she was inspirational! I am so proud.
was told that i earned the nickname "bell". Apparently I am a southern bell with a sweet twang. Yeaaaa...they give me a hard time.

my most life changing experience was reading the book "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Here's a quote from it: "What is a personal calling? It is God's blessing, it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend."

Ya know how you know you are changing but can't seem to put a finger on it? Well, that's sort of what I am experiencing. I mean, every new experience, new person that you meet, new place that you see...they all make a difference in your life. I am inspired. My whole heart is in this journey. I want to follow my "personal legend" that The Alchemist speaks of. I want to learn and grow and change...and live.

Feed My Sheep Ministries

Hello! Here are some of my sweet new friends from Feed My Sheep homeless center, downtown Glenwood Springs. The shelter began with a woman, who after being saved, was reading her bible and asking God what He wanted from her. After reading John 21, she knew the Lord wanted her to "feed his sheep"! So she bagan this ministry. She has passed on, but Feed My Sheep is still going strong. And it's a beautiful place that ministers to many, turning no one down.
They are amazing, beautiful people! They have welcomed me into their family! I love spending time with them and hearing their stories.

Rainy

Mrs. Susan. She is a beautiful soul, full of joy!

Carol and Mr. Charlie. He is a character! We love to walk him everyday :)

This is a view of the valley I'm staying in, from the top of Doc Holliday Mountain. Yep, I climbed a mountain! It's so beautiful!! It's been in the 90s lately. ALMOST reminds me of good ol' Louisiana. Ohhhh, i miss that place...

The dandilions here are massive and beautiful!!

Oh, and there was a graveyard at the top of Doc Holliday Mountain, including a memorial for Doc Holliday...if anyone knows who he is, please fill me in.

These flowers remind me of my lovely mama! :)

So, I am enjoying my time here in CO. I go to work in Utah for my first shift this Wednesday. I'll be in the wilderness, no cell phone, no showers, for 8 days. I am excited, a little nervous! I am in here until the Lord leads me elsewhere...I'm not real sure what He is up to. But I do know that He has provided for me so faithfully and has me here for some purpose, surely.

roadtrip of a lifetime

This journey all started months ago while sitting at work googling different options of things to do post-graduation. I found this wilderness therapy program, Ashley Valley Wilderness in Vernal, Utah. http://www.ashleyvalleywilderness.com/

so I applied online and had a skype interview and came to training that started on June 13th, my birfday! Training was in tents! (literally) You get in a company vehicle and ride for 2+ hours through the mountains on windy dirt roads, and then they drop ya off with equipment! you set up camp...and there you are. Left to survive...and I survived!

i learned how to cut limbs from trees and carve them with sharp rocks to make this thing that can start a fire ember that you can put in a nest of tree bark and start a fire...

and i learned the hard way that zipping your sleeping bag at night will prevent you from freezing..

i learned how to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner over the camp fire.

My first shift will start on June 29th! I'll work a week and be off a week...wednesday to wednesday. I can't wait to be out there with the students...they are 12-25 year olds struggling with drug abuse, alcoholism, depression and what have you.

and now, here I am, sitting in a coffee shop in glenwood springs, COLORADO!!
on my off shilft i'll be staying here with a dear friend's aunt and uncle and volunteering at their homeleass shelter. they are such a blessing!!

it's in a valley in between mountains and mountains...so beautiful it seems like it should be in another country or something. there is still snow on some of the mountain tops!

I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite books, "Somewhere", as told by Garret the Parrot.

"We are looking for joy,

we are looking for laughter,

for Once-upon-a-time

and happily-ever-after.

This is Adventure

so follow your heart,

and try not to be

a worry wart!"