Thursday, August 24, 2017

How the years have flown since I left my beloved Ugandan home. My time at Amani Baby Cottage was so precious and special to me. I can hardly believe 5 years have passed since I said my good-byes and came back to the USA.
In that time, I said my earthly good-bye to my sweet mother, watched my grandson Nathan beat Cancer twice and remain Cancer free,  I went back to school and advanced my degree, I was promoted to Clinic Operations Manager for a local Colorado Community Health Center, bought a home and now have a mortgage and school loans.
I am not complaining but life was so much simpler (not to mention debt free) when I lived in Uganda. I truly wish at times I could return permanently, but though half my heart is still there, I know that is not where God wants me. I am where I was led to be, and I feel extremely blessed. I hope to be able to take a missions trip for two weeks next year back to the Baby Home. It will be very different, but I sure miss those mamas and Uncles, and those sweet little hands and feet.
Last year we had our first of many Bi-annual Amani Baby Cottage Reunion's in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was absolutely amazing and emotional for all of us. I am blessed to be able to host next year's reunion here in Colorado. It will be in Grand Junction, Colorado ( the gateway to the the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa). I am working on firming up plans now for a venue and a block of rooms which we hope to release soon, so families can start planning for it. It will be held July 27-29, 2018. I can hardly wait for next year to come and see all those precious children I and many others took care of and nurtured while they were at Amani. Just seeing how they are growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus Chris and doing so wonderfully with their forever families brings me so much joy and I cannot even begin to explain it.
My grandchildren now number 22. Some of them are now adults and a couple more are close to being full adults. The oldest is 25 and the youngest is 4. Quite a spread.
In addition to working as a nurse/manager, an advocate for health care for all, I am also doing professional photography "Soxx Photography" which is one of my passions. I am so excited to see what God has in store for me in the coming months and years. I continue to be his vessel and serve wherever I am called.