faith is doing something that doesn't make sense... unless there is a God!



our students dancing in Gulu



A lot of times when I think of "men and women of faith" I think of those that sold everything they owned and moved across the world after kissing their family goodbye, unsure if they would ever see them again.  And there have been a few times now when I have said goodbye to my family and ventured into the unknown of Africa... but this year I feel like the biggest step of faith that God is asking me to do is to stay in my own country for most of the year!  I have been desiring to do School of Dance Studies (SODS)since I did my first school with YWAM back in 2008... and by the time that I had finally laid it down when it seemed like that wasn't going to happen at the beginning of this year...that was the time the Lord spoke to me and said "okay, next year is the year that you are supposed to do it."  And honestly...I feel that out of the last 3 years...this is the worst possible time to do SODS.  I got to see God move and do so much in Uganda this year, and so much of me wants to be a part of what He is going to continue to do there in this next year.  But over and over the Lord just keeps confirming to me that He wants me to do SODS this next year.

So here it goes! I am holding my breath and taking a step of faith. I am trying to commit Uganda and SOC into the hands of God for these next 9 months as I go to Montana for further training and then I go on outreach.  Afterall...I know that it is nothing that I do in Uganda that makes any difference, but it is the Lord that is moving and working, and He has blessed me with the privelage to be able to partner with Him in His work there for the last 3 years. And this is year that I need to remember it is just that- HIS work. 

One of the pictures I felt like the Lord gave me as I was praying about doing school of dance about 7 months ago... was that I was driving a car.  As I was driving in front of me I could see Uganda...so I automatically assumed that Uganda was where I was going. But as I zoomed out a bit I saw that Uganda was one of those little hula dancers that people have on their dashboard, and the Lord was in front of the car. and I felt like God reminded me "I am your destination, Uganda is not your destination." 



dancing again :)



So in these next 10 months that is what my aim is: To make God my focus and to let everything else grow strangely dim as I know that HE will be working all things together for good and that I can trust him to continue to be the good Father that He is.  I am very excited and feel very blessed for this season to be able to focus on God through what I love to do.  I have had a passion for dancing for as long as I can remember. And I know that dance is a part of the future that God has for me...but honestly in this time I am not even really worried about how it is going to work out for the future...because I want to focus on Him and Him alone- and trust that He will take care of the rest.  I know that this is a time of "resting" in the Lord so that He can better equip me and raise me up for the work that He has for me in the future.

"I feel a burning desire to preach the Gospel, but I know in my heart that now is the time to pray, to read, to meditate, to be quiet, and to wait…. It makes no sense to preach the Gospel when I have allowed no time for my own conversion. I feel a tension within me. I have only a limited number of years left for active ministry. Why not use them well? Yet one word spoken with a pure heart is worth thousands spoken in a state of spiritual turmoil. Time given to inner renewal is never wasted. God is not in a hurry." --Henry Nouwen

it all started with an email...

sometimes I think about my life and I just have to laugh when I look at where God has taken me from, and the places that He has brought me to.  These last couple months have been no exception to that...

 Titus project is a 3rd level school in the University of Nations where students that have completed a 9 month School of Biblical Studies learn how to practically train and teach what they have learned in their school.   I was in Colorado Springs talking to some of the students in the School of Biblical Studies(SBS) at the begining of the year about how they were interested in Titus but didn't know where to do it. So I emailed Jaco- a man from my SBS and asked him about what he thought of us running a Titus in Uganda, since he was living here with his family and I was going to be here- it just seemed right.  and of course- God lined everything up perfectly.



after about 3 hours on the road side in a "game park."



So in the begining of October we started the first Titus project in Uganda and were able to train 8 students how to teach the Bible to believers and church leaders in rural parts of Africa.  then about 3 weeks ago we set out for outreach. and what a great time it has been!!

The first week of outreach my team set out for Pader, in Northern Uganda.  as always we had an adventure on the way as our bus broke down 3 times along the way to Gulu, including one time when we had to wait almost 4 hours on the side of the road in the middle of Africa until another bus that was completely full picked us up so we crammed in double the amount that it was supposed to carry.  I road the rest of the 3 hours sitting on the hand rail of the steps coming into the bus... haha. it's always an adventure!

But we were so blessed when we arrived in Pader to be hosted by a pastor names JJ.  Getting to know JJ and his congregation was one of the most humbling experiences of  my life. About 20 people from his congregation wake up every morning at 3 to go meet in the church to pray and intercede for the church, the nation, and the world.  It was such dedication and hunger for the Lord like I have never seen before.  We were able to teach them the Inductive Bible Study Method and the Bible overview (a teaching of Genesis-Revelation in 9 easy to remember steps)  and they were so grateful for the teaching. they said they had been praying about having teachings like this come to Pader, and we were so blessed to be able to a part of what God is doing there! We also got to share in a womens group started by an incredible lady named Margaret. She is from Northern Uganda and employes women and teaches them how to make shea butter and sesame seeds.  On Sunday I got to go with one of the students to "Pader girls academy"  it is a school designed for girls that concieved children through the "lords resistance army" and so the school has a daycare for the children as their mothers are in class... seing as how most of the "mothers" are still children themselves being about 15 and 16 years old. 

our team with Pr. JJ on the right!

most Titus leaders probably don't make their
students do traditional dances on outreach.
I am not most Titus leaders.

After a great week we got to come to my favorite place in Uganda, if not the world- Gulu!  We had planned to go to Lira for the second week...but the Lord had other plans for us. and it was such a blessing!  We were reminded (from a word of the Lord through Jaco) of the great commision in Matthew- that we were to go and make disciples of all nations.  and I questioned just which disciples the Lord had wanted us to make...and as we prayed as a team the Lord spoke to us about following up with the foundation that our Discipleship Training School team had left a few months ago.  So we decided it was a good time to take a step deeper with some of the boys in the ministry.  So the first week in Gulu we had a Bible study and fellowship with the high school boys living in the ministry house at night... and after seeing just how hungry they are for truth...we decided to continue it for the next two weeks we are here!  We've had a question box and are answering there questions and having discussions with them each night about the Word (please pray for wisdom as they ask GREAT questions!)  We've also had the Titus team sharing Bible teachings in Gulu Hope- our vocational school, and they've been doing a seminar in the mornings with members from the church, as well as another seminar at a local church here in Gulu in the afternoons. 

It has been such an incredible time, and such an encouragement to see the hunger for the Word that people have here...as well as their ability and dedication to learn the method.  The Lord keeps reminding us of how "fertile the soil" is here in Northern Uganda...and how he wants to bring healing and redemption through His word.  Please pray for us as we are here for another week and a half- that we can be obedient to what God wants us to do here, and that God will continue to bring revelation and understanding through His word.  And please pray for the seminars that we are arranging for the next few weeks in Gulu and in Kampala!

Taylor doing Bible overview withe the boys (and girls) at home!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!!!

Mathew 19:29

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." 



My brothers, David and Francis... I'm sure one of them said
SOMETHING that made my face like that... haha

 This verse never comes to mind more then when I am in Uganda.  Everywhere I go here I have a mother, brother, father, sisters, and home.  I get encouraged, rebuked, directed, and loved in more ways then I could have ever dreamed of when I am away from home.  It doesn't mean that I never miss my family and friends... but it just means that the Lord is so gracious to me and knows exactly what I need.  I am so blessed and privilaged to get to do life with these amazing people here.  And just to share some of them...let me tell you about Collines...

Collines and I met in Colorado Springs when she was touring there with Invisible Children.  I went up to her after she shared her story of growing up in Northern Uganda and told her that I work in Gulu.  We shared a great conversation and I tested my little knowledge of "Acholi language" on her, and I told her about what Soldiers of Christ does.  She asked me if it would be something that she could come and help out with, and I told her that would be wonderful! We also joked about me being able to go back to her village to meet her mother and the other people there.  I had no idea how much this simple conversation would change my life. 



Tom, Maggie and I with the students from Colline's primary school



A month after this talk, Collines was here in Gulu working full-time with Soldiers of Christ! She did wonders as the program director with the children's events and setting up things for our team to do.  But more than that...she became one of my dearest sisters.  I am so blessed by the season that I shared with her and the wisdom and advice I could glean from her over and over again.  We even ended up taking a weekend trip to go see her mom in her village!  We shared with her old primary school and the secondary school in her village, and I even got to preach at her church of 150 people on Sunday morning!!

Collines has just left us this week to go back to America with Invisible Children in order to share what is happening in Northern Uganda and Congo, and what God is doing in this area of the world!! I am so proud of her and can't wait to see how God uses her in these next few months... but I am even more excited for her to be able to re-join us in December at Soldiers of Christ!!



Innocent, another sister of mine :)



Uganda... Take 3.

i tie ma ber?  (how are you??) 

nursery students... the sign says "Jenny Sweet to have you home" love!

Greetings from Uganda, Everyone!! Time has flown by in these past two and a half weeks!  It is such a blessing to have a team with me in Gulu for the first time!! They have done such a wonderful job working with the ministry and the community, and really being an encouragement for what I see God doing here :)



the kids getting ready to perform :)



It has been so incredible to be back with my kids and my family here in Gulu.  We were officially welcomed to the ministry with singing and dancing from all the mama's, and all of the kids, and signs from the nursery students.  It was such a beautiful moment! I was so proud of them all... a couple of the students shared speeches about what Soldiers of Christ means to them and to the community.  It was such a living testimony of what God is doing in His community right here in Northern Uganda! 

Our team has already learned the value of "rolling with the punches"  We spent about three full days plastering the outside of our nursery school in preperation for painting it to make it look nice for the preschoolers...but to my shock and dismay...as soon as we were nearly complete our neighbor came to tell us that the building had been build partially on his property, and he wanted to put in a water line...which means he wants us to tear down the building.  It was a valuable lesson learned that zeal without wisdom is fruitless...and we need to seek the Lord in every decision we arae making.  I found out later that a few of our workers were having hesitations about plastering... and I realized just how important it is to listen to that still small voice.  But we are still seeking the Lord and know that He works for good in all things for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes.  So I can't wait to see how He is going to use this mistake of ours for His glory...and the benifit of His ministry!

Dispite this bit of disapointment...  the ministry is moving on well!  We have prayed and decided that this next year is going to be really focused on staff training and team building, even before any expansion.  We have been talking with the national leadership team of YWAM Uganda to officially become a "YWAM ministry" and are walking through that process! We have been blessed to have Evan and Britny share with us that they are feeling called to work with Soldiers of Christ long term!! the last few days have been busy putting together profiles for the children we will sponsor in this next year, so that- God willing, we will be able to have individual sponsors for each student to be able to encourage them and walk with them through school and through life! I am so excited about this next step and what God is going to do through it as He continues to bring the body of Christ together from all over the world!



me and our pastor's wife after church



Our team has felt that one of their main roles in this time was to be a tool of intercession for the ministry...and that has been what they have been doing!  We have been doing prayer walks around the ministry and around the community, asking God for what His original design and intent for Northern Uganda and the Acholi people was.  We were so encouraged when God confirmed through our team that He has placed everything in Uganda that it needs to provide for all of Africa- Physically and Spiritually.  It made me so excited to see how God is going to do this and allow Uganda to rise up as a leader for the rest of this continent.  Right now in a time when so many eyes are on Uganda...it is the perfect time for God to show His sovereignty and provision for this nation...and this world! 

It has been such a blessing to see our team love this community and this ministry with all of their hearts.  They have really opened up their arms...and our doors to anyone that comes by!  everyday we have anywhere from 5 to 50 kids playing in our front yard...and we love to play frisbee and soccer and football with them.  They told us the other day that they want to have a Bible study, so we are excited for this opportunity and looking at how we can make it work to be faithful with what God has provided! We have had so many divine connections like this! Tyler is actually in Kampala right now because he has been asked to join the Gulu semi pro basketball team...and is in a tournament with them now!  SUCH a great opportunity for ministry!! This weekend we are going to be doing a "carnival" with our neighborhood kids and the students in the ministry...with games, painting, sports, and lots of fun!! We really are looking forward to an opportunity to show them love and to allow them to be kids :)

please pray for God's direction on the land and the building structures as we are looking at other plots of land that are suitable for expansion.  and that God would really lay the foundation for all that we do so that we are not laboring in vain!

And please pray for continued open hearts and inspiration on how to love the people God is bringing into our lives. 

As well as continued health for our team :)

We love you all so much!! God bless!!



oh... and I slaughtered a chicken.



For such a time as this...

"Why should a sinner be saved?"


Gulu responding to the Gospel :)


This is an age old question that I have heard discussed, and that I have pondered myself.  There are two sides to the argument-  1. God deserves the worship that he has refused to give him. 2. The sinner has value and needs to be saved.  I feel like people have felt the need to hang on to one side of the pendulum... And I honestly feel like they aren't mutually exclusive.  If a sinner is only saved simply to "fulfill a requirement", then it leaves out the part of God's heart that desires to see His children walk in Life, and Life in abundance.  God has created us to be in relationship with Him, because He loves us, not because he "needs" us.  But if we only look at the sinner and we get stuck in "deeds" then we lose sight of the One that we are actually trying to reach them with, and we will get burned out, dissapointed, and let down.  So what if the answer was so much easier than we made it.  What if a sinner is meant to be saved simply because God has commanded us to go to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all nations.  God knows the reason, He knows the purpose, and He knows the goal.  When God asks, who are we to think that we can "reason" why He is asking us to go?  When we try to reason, most of the time, if it is not done in the fear of the Lord, it steals the glory away from the Lord in simple obedience.  The times in my life I have seen God come through in the biggest ways, and the times I have been so blessed by His provision and guidance are the times I followed Him in blind faith.  Yet I always seem to forget that fact and think that I have to "figure everything out" before I actually step into doing it.  But this time I choose to say no to my pride and ignorance.



My team coming to Uganda with me!

 This time I choose to walk in obedience to God, even if I don't understand His reasoning.  All I know is all I need to know, and all I know is right in front of me.  I know that God has called me to Uganda for such a time as this.  And this time I want to go focusing on the Lord... but I also want to go with a focus on His people.  That is why I believe the greatest command that Jesus gave was two- fold; He told us to love God and to love our neighbor.  Sometimes I think we have a misunderstanding in thinking that compassion is "humanism"  But I am challenged to think different. I am challenged to see the Lord through my personal times with Him, as well as to see Him through the people that He has created in His image to worship Him and to spend eternity with him.  And I am so encouraged and blessed by the people that are walking by my side to see this happen :) God has called us to Uganda for such a time as this, and we may never know all that He is up to...but one thing we can say is that we have responded "send us, we'll go."  Please pray for our team and all of our workers at Soldiers of Christ in Northern Uganda this summer! Pray that we can walk in the obedience and the love of the Lord and in His strength and bring his joy to the people of Gulu, Uganda!

Counting the Cost...

 Next weekend will be my 21^st birthday.  This has caused me to do some reflecting of my life.  I have friends my age that; are about to graduate college, have recently gotten married, have bought houses, and some even had children!  I have been so excited to see where life is taking them, but I couldn’t help but stop and think that my life doesn’t look anything like what it “should” look like for a typical girl in her 20’s.  I don’t have a pretty wedding ring to show others, I don’t have dirty diapers and teething babies to talk about, I don’t have a college diploma, I have less than $100 dollars in my checking account, and I don’t have as  much time as my family as some would say is appropriate.  As I thought about this, I started to ask God, is it worth it? Is this life you called me to worth the sympathetic eyes and confused stares as I confess; “I haven’t started college yet”, “the money comes from God”, or “I am not too worried about a relationship or marriage at the moment”?

A good friend recently sent me an e-mail after they were praying.  They felt that the Lord had given them the verse of Romans 12:2 for me, which states, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”  I have never really thought of myself as ‘worldly’.  Homeschooled missionaries seem more few and far between than you would think.  But I had the first part of this passage memorized, I always knew it was a good thing to be in the world but not of it…but I never realized that there was more to this verse, the very important word of “that”. In our Bible school we could call this word a ‘connective’ meaning that it was connecting the beginning of the sentence to the rest of it, also showing that the first part of the sentence is incomplete.  So why are we to not conform to the world, and be transformed by the renewal of our mind?

            THAT by testing we may be able to discern what the will of God is, what is good and pleasing and perfect!! I don’t know about you…but I would LOVE to know what is perfect! What is something tangible that I can hold on to and trust that will not crumble beneath me, what is something that will satisfy the depths of my heart and soul.  In Mathew 18:14, after Jesus has talked about the Shepherd that would leave his 99 sheep to find the one that went missing, He says, “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Jesus said after He had called a little child to stand among the disciples, He was explaining God’s heart for the ‘little ones’ that had for so long been devalued and under-appreciated in their society. And THAT is what I believe the will of God is- that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord would cover the earth as water covers the sea.  It is the presence and the knowledge of our Heavenly Father that is good, pleasing, and perfect.

            The truth is- no matter what situations we are faced with in life…there is one thing that is always constant, and that is the Lord.  He will never leave you or forsake you.  And I believe the “little ones” that He has called me to, that He has entrusted to me are; the children of Northern Uganda, the children that have all been affected by over 20 years of rebel war and destruction in their home land, the children that don’t know what stability or security even means, the children that don’t know what a healthy and whole family looks like, the children that are crying out “Abba, Father” waiting for someone to tell them that EVERYTHING they desire about someone having love and compassion for them are TRUE! They are waiting for someone to tell them that no matter what they have done, or been forced to do, their heavenly Father loves them more than they could ever learn, and each day He wants to walk with them in a journey deeper and deeper into His love.  They NEED to know that someone has been with them in each of these situations; that He has wept with them, that He has laughed with them, that He has seen the depth of their hearts cry and He is yearning to reveal himself to them, that not one of them would perish without knowing what His will is for them, His good and pleasing and perfect will!

            So what was the answer that I got? Of COURSE it is worth it.  It is not only worth it, it is a privilege for me to be able to give my life so that these children will know what life really is!  I am willing to give up the “American dream” and the “typical life”. I have been ruined for the ordinary and I never want to go back- no matter what the cost is. I am so blessed by where I am in life at the moment, and I pray the God will continue to direct my steps everyday for what HE has for me and not what I have by myself. I don’t want to build a house of glass. I don’t want to build a house at all… I want my life to be a journey with the Lord in whatever place and capacity He will take me to! And I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to do so! So now the question comes to you… now that you know it is worth it. Are you willing?

Moving Forward :)

Jeff and I in San Diego

Oftentimes I sit around thinking, "I need to update my blog..." but I feel like SO much is happening that I never know where to even start! So here is my attempt (and probably fail) to wrap up the end of last year and the beginning of this year :)

               The year ended and then a new one began with visitors and trips galore.  The whole family was together again for Christmas, and we even had an addition this year when my friend Vernel from South Africa was able to join us for the holiday!  It was a great time...and I hope the Wagner family didn't overwhelm him too much ;)  We also had all of our Wagner cousins from Portland, Oregon come down for a visit... and they took me with them back to Oregon for about a week and a half! It was such a great time to be with my dear cousins that I hadn't seen in TOO long! I was back for one full day before my parents, Jeff, and I took off for San Diego, California for an extended weekend. I was able to see one of my dear friends from my school in Montana, Amanda Walhof :) it was SO good to catch up with her and get to meet the man in her life!  It had been two years since I had seen her!! We has such a great trip! and I don't think my parents minded too much that Jeff and I decided to crash their romantic getaway at the last minute...


(some of the) Wagner girls in Portland!



               Time away and spent with family was exactly what I needed to be able to rest and re-focus on this year and how exactly it would all work out.  After an incredible retreat with God in the mountains at the end of last year, I felt that He really gave me direction on where He would have me go... but because I always like to ask questions,  I wondered, "But how do I get there??"  and of course, God has been taking care of everything and allowing me to come along with the incredible plan and future that He has for the nation of Uganda :) 

               So as of now, I am officially on staff with Colorado Springs YWAM.  The base here has partnered together to start a business of these little solar-powered lights, about the size of a Nalgene bottle that burn four times (or more) brighter than the little kerosene lanterns that the 600 million people in the world without electricity have in their homes (that is if they are able to afford the quickly burning and toxic kerosene that many of them use).  So our goal with these lights is to provide a more cost-effective and safe way for these people to be able to live their lives a little bit later than seven o'clock when the sun goes down.  We will be doing campaigns in colleges and churches focusing on raising lights for Uganda, India, Swaziland, and many other countries that are in need of these.  In the time that I am home, I will be helping with these campaigns and really trying to push raising the lights for our village in Uganda, we'll even get to set up tables to sell the beads that our wonderful women in Uganda are making; then in April I will start teaching in the preschool at YWAM in order to work with the children, and also familiarize myself with the curriculum that I will then be able to take back to Uganda in July to train to our Nursery School teachers so that they can in turn teach it to our children in Uganda!

               Clearly once again, God has already thought of everything that I need...and has proven that He is far more than able to provide anything we've asked or even hoped for!  And even through all of this, He is teaching me a huge lesson about trust.  I recently turned down my old job at Scott's Miracle Grow, when I felt that the Lord was calling me to pursue what He had for me long term... and not just a quick fix to my question on where money was going to come from.  So I took a leap (or a small slide off the ledge) of faith, and I am really excited to see how the Lord will continue to show Himself faithful in the area of my finances.  Surprisingly... trips back and forth to Uganda, as well as basic living expenses... cost money.  And I think this will be the first time in my life I can honestly say that I have given these areas to the Lord in obedience to what he is asking me to do... even though everything in my own earthly mind is telling me it is crazy, I have come to realize that the God I know really likes to have people do crazy things in order to show Himself worthy and faithful. 

Peace teaching at Dancing Soldiers of Christ

               As far as Soldiers of Christ in Uganda, incredible things are happening there!  My friend from Colorado Springs, DJ, will be heading out tomorrow to go to the grounds in Gulu and help out with the ministry for five weeks, laying bricks, doing Bible teachings, and of course...loving on the children!  The team in Uganda is hard at work laying bricks for our THIRD brick building!! We will be able to have our Soldiers of Christ school running before we know it :) And we just had a dear friend, Peace, come over from another part of Uganda for a week to help train our kids in their singing and dancing skills!  Peace has just recently released a music CD in Uganda, so it was such a blessing and an honor to have her come over and lend a hand, using some of her expertise (I even got word that the men were having her help make bricks during the day when the children were in school!)  Way to go, Peace!!  And also in the beginning of March, we will be welcoming a DTS team to help out on the grounds for a few weeks!!  We LOVE the body of Christ all coming together!! And we are always up to have new visitors ;)


we have AWESOME helpers :)