The Morris family is coming to America. I am so excited. So. Excited.

If you know me, you know I could ramble on for quite sometime about this family. That said I would like to try and keep this post concise and to the point. I will summarize my ramblings to this: I love them…So. Much. I miss them so, so much. Just the thought of having them in Raleigh for a few weeks (yes plural!) puts me into a tizzy of excitement and joy. 27 days. I think I can make it.

I wanted to put it out there on the interwebs, making some needs known regarding the Morris family’s furlough.

As a gal who has been on the foreign mission field I know firsthand the mix of emotions that surround this type of trip. You want and need rest. You want to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. You also have to balance this with sharing your experiences, updating people re what’s up on the ground, raising awareness and support. There is a load of stress and anxiety that comes with wanting to meet the expectations of all the different people you have to see and things you hope to accomplish during your time in the States. All the while being away from your ministry, from your people, from your life – with that comes an ever-present stress and/or concern of how everything is going in your absence.

In addition to all of this, of the +4 years Dan, Loring, Aiden, Hannah & Ben have lived in Uganda this is just their second trip back as a family. They are kind of missionary furlough amateurs. Knowing so personally how they labor, how they sacrifice, how much they give of themselves** – I want so badly for their time this summer to be rich, restful and life giving.

**Note: they would NEVER say this of themselves, they are humble and so decidedly living the way the Lord has led them to that it just doesn’t seem like anything special to them. Having lived and worked with them for two years I think I’ve earned the right to make such claims :)

Okay, all of that and I haven’t made any tangible needs known. Allow me to dive right in: I wanted to bring to your attention the increased need Dan & Loring will have for cash during their time in the States.  That’s right – Money. Funds. Support. Generosity. Moolah. Coin. Cheddar. I am sure this does not surprise you, but life in a third world country is significantly less expensive than life in America. They come to America, but they are still being paid based on a standard of living in Uganda. Not to mention, it’s on these types of trips they have a chance to shop for clothes. In addition to that there is the inevitable need for rental cars, food, doctors appointments and so on.

With all the stressors and whirlwind that their summer at home is sure to be the last thing they need to worry about is something as trivial as money.

So what do you say people, let’s bless the mess out of this freaking awesome family!!!!?!!?

I hope you are sitting there going YES! YES! 1,000 times YESSS!! But how? Here are some options:

• Make a tax deductable donation online to Dan & Loring Morris via their mission organization on justgive. (Note: in the “Program” reference their name)
• Give via paypal by following the link on the top right corner of this blog.
• Buy a gift card (Target, Old Navy, Starbucks, Gas Card, just to name a few) or right a check. You would be welcome to mail that to me with a card saying “Hi!” or something like that. I am picking them up at Dulles International on June 1st and would gladly hand them over at that time.

If any or none of the above sound good to you please do not hesitate to send me an email and we can talk about it heyrosa@gmail.com. Also, if you would like to be in touch with Dan and Loring directly, email me and I can make it happen.

Please tell your friends, co-workers, family, anyone!! Let’s rally some love and generosity around these folks.  Let’s straight just bless the mess out of ‘em.

I really dig inside jokes. Not to be a separatist or elitist or anything like that. More so it’s a random little anecdote that might encourage the sharing of a story, which then perhaps might encourage the present sharing in a past experience. Who doesn’t love a shared experience?! Even the worst of them often end up being something that forever bonds you with the people you happened to be with when you lived through them. 

Perhaps you know my sweet, sweet dog Banks. Isn’t he so handsome and stoic in this picture? I was holding his favorite kong ball over my head as I snapped this shot.

He was the first puppy dog I had that was all mine and not “the family dog”. I was fully responsible for his care and rearing.

I had not realized how much patience this task required. When he was a little bitty puppy I remember calling my friend Ellyn (who is now a Vet) and being near tears explaining to her I would have him outside for an hour and he wouldn’t go to the bathroom then as soon as we walked inside he’d pee on the floor. I remember so clearly Ellyn saying, “Rose, you have to be more patient than the dog.” Ugh.

It was also Ellyn that advised me to NEVER let Banks hump my leg. She explained this is a sign of dominance and it is crucial I establish myself as the alpha dog. One day I got home from work, walked into my house and was greeted by Banks the bouncing puppy. I kneeled down to give him a proper hello and he proceeded to hump my leg. Following Ellyn’s instruction I turned him on his back, pinned him down and said, “I’M THE BOSS OF YOU!! I AM! THE! BOSS! OF! YOOOOUUUUU!!!” It was at that time my ex came in from the front porch saying, “Rosalie, who are you talking to? What are you doing??”

It was kind of embarrassing.

But now that years have passed by this phrase, and variations of it, have simply become a part of my everyday vocabulary.

“I’m the boss of you” or “You’re the boss of me” or “I’m the boss of this” or “You’re the boss of this” or “We’re the boss of this” or “You’re the boss of him/her” or “You’re not the boss of me” or “I’m not the boss of this” or “He/She is not the boss of this” or “We’re not the boss of this”. I think you get me here.

So what started with an embarrassing moment with me and my defiant puppy over the years turned into a ridiculous slang term used between friends. Isn’t that fun? I think so.

When Loring and I took the last hoo-rah trip during my final few weeks in Uganda - part of our time was on a guided group tour with Kombi Tours. It was Loring and me, two gals from Canada and a couple visiting from NYC. We really had a great group. It was on our second night out in Sipi Falls, we had spent the day hiking the falls and then on a coffee plantation tour. Afterward we had returned to the place we were staying for showers and a little rest time before dinner. We’d made dinner reservations for the group at a neighboring resort and we had arranged with Adam, our guide, to leave in just enough time to get there for our reservations. As it turned out we were all ready to go about an hour beforehand. Loring and I were sitting on the porch with our new friend Tina at the reception area of the place we were staying. Loring and I thrown the idea out there that we all head over a little earlier and maybe have a drink before dinner and check the place out. Everyone was in agreement, but we had planned to meet Adam at a set time. As Loring and I sit there with Tina next to us on her computer Loring says, “We need to find Adam and let him know we want to leave earlier. We’re the bosses of this trip.” Meaning, we - as in the six of us who were paying for the tour. Tina, being unfamiliar with the “boss of this” terminology didn’t even pick her head up, but said, “I heard that”. Understandably thinking Loring and I were claiming to be the two bosses of our trip. Which, of course, was incorrect, but also hilarious and awesome to me. 

So now you know the story. Twice over, at that. You know what that means? You now get to join me, and others who have gone before you, as the boss of this colloquialism. 

You’re welcome, Don. (I’ll share the story behind that one in a future post)

Last year Loring and I submitted an application to be contestants on the show, The Amazing Race.  Well, folks, February came and went with nary a call from their producers telling us we made it to the next round. 

Their loss.

The next season would more accurately be titled “The Not As Amazing As It Could Have Been Race”

I love this song. I came across it again, but also kind of for the first time, a couple weeks ago. It’s basically been on unending repeat since. I’m not sure how you are with music, but me and music have this thing. Music has always helped me experience feelings in a deeper way, whatever the feeling or emotion may be. For example, if I am pumped and my heart connects with an upbeat song then I am pumped X10. Ya dig?

Things have been kind of weird for me. Settling back into life here has been a really big adjustment. While I kind of anticipated weirdness I did not really know what to expect. I’ve felt somehow (That is the Ugandan use of somehow….like in a certain way or not completely) sad and lonely. I’ve going from living in a small two room with my two Ugandan dears to living alone in The Dink, my little one bedroom loft. I’ve gone from being in a community where you are living life on life with each other, where you can’t step outside of your home without being engaged in conversations with basically everyone you encounter to living in a cultuel where relationship and personal interaction is not valued to the same extent.

This song resonates with me. Coming across it was so well timed. At times when we feel sad and alone it can feel as though we truly are, alone, but we are not. At times we feel like no one can relate or understand or fully know us, but that’s not true either. We are fully known, fully understood, fully loved to a more significant degree than we can ever fully appreciate or understand. I needed to be reminded of this truth. I am thankful for how everything about this song illustrates those very truths. The lyrics, the music, everything.

Take a few minutes. Turn off the noise around you, crank this song and really listen to it. Experience it. Know it.

so·journ  

When I was in high school I wanted a tattoo so bad. Like so, so bad. During our Junior year my good friend Kim got a job answering phones at a new tattoo parlor in Wilmington. Three of her older sister’s best friends had opened it together. I used to go by and hang out with her after school a couple times a week. One day one of the guys said, “Hey Rosalie, we’ll give you a tattoo if you want one.” I was like, “WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! YES! I totally want one!!!” Excitedly I began to scour the walls and books of displayed tattoo art trying to determine what exactly it was I wanted.

After several weeks I made a discovery ———— although I wanted a tattoo sooooo, sooo bad. I, in fact, could not identify anything I desired to have on my body forever. Go figure. It was incredibly frustrating at the time, but that was that. Which, in retrospect, I’m super thankful for, because, you know what? I was a pretty stubborn kid and in most cases if I wanted to do something I was going to do it. Really glad that in my youth I had the forethought to consider my future self and how much I may or may not appreciate permanent nonsensical body art.

Despite all of this, I guess I never really lost the urge, yet always maintained the conundrum of not having anything I wanted on my body forever. I conceded to this fact and figured a tattoo was just never going to be for me.

While in Uganda on several different occasions the idea of getting a tattoo came to mind. Especially as it became clear my time was coming to an end. I wanted something to commemorate that period of my life, the friendships, the family, my fellow Sojourners and our mutual pursuit of the One. What made the decision a no brainer was that I already knew what I would get. Done and done.

Last September when I got back to Wabigalo, after my furlough in the States, we were just finishing up 1 Corinthians. I remember so clearly as Dan was preaching 1 Corinthians 16 and we’re looking at Paul’s final greetings. “Our Lord, come!” It resonated to a deep down place in my heart. Dan went on to explain this was a common prayer in the early church. Marana tha! Dan challenged us with the question – do we live that way? Are we ready for that? Is it what we long for?

Our Lord, come!

There is hurt here. There is pain, sufferings and brokenness. No amount of money, no earthly possession, can heal these wounds. We anticipate Christ’s return. When creation will be fully restored, when all things will be made new. Oh that we would all live this way. Not always needing more time to right that wrong or reach one last achievement or finally labor to break that one habitual sin. No. That we would be a people who live each and every day with our sights, our minds, our hearts on the one true thing. Our eternal hope. 

מרנא תא ~ maranâ thâ’ ~ Our Lord, Come! 

The above shot was taken by Jet @ Blue Flame Tattoo right after he finished doing what he do. I’m including the below picture because when I sent the above shot to Loring she couldn’t figure out where it was on my body, asking if it was my hip…. :| So, now you can see, it’s just there. The last shot doesn’t really have a purpose expect for I thought it looked neato. 

I leave Uganda today :| This plog represents a going away party at my good friends the Borcherts and a surprise party, last night, thrown by “The Ladies of Sojourn” 

Above: Sylvia and baby Phiona!! They got back yesterday. So glad I got to see them again before leaving :) 

Above: sending me off with some prayers

Above: They got me a fancy cake! Scovia was excited and celebrating and then I was attempting to cut it

Above: Vicki being consoled by a pole

Above: Bolton lead us in some song!!

Above: Mariam has jokes. All the time. Dan had just snapped a shot of Mary & Richard (who are married) and I’m not sure what it was, but Mariam had something humorous to say

Above: How you serve cake in Uganda - cut it into small squares and carry it around on a platter 

GROUP SHOT! Love this family!!!

Boyz II Men were right, it really is so hard to say goodbye.

It’s a weird week for me. A weird season of life, really. I have never been in this place before. I’m not sure what to do with myself. I leave from Entebbe Wednesday evening. I am grieved in a tremendous way to be saying goodbye to my Uganda family. 

Dan asked me last week when I thought I would mentally check out. Jokingly, I told him I had done so two weeks ago. But seriously, there’s no mental check out for me. Not this time, not with this place. As long as I am here, I am here. I have wanted to live in it, be in it, every single moment until that airplane takes me away.

Read More

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to do a little adventuring around Eastern Uganda. My generous parents had sent some money insisting I go do some traveling before I head back to America. How rad is that? So rad.

Loring and I set out for on a three day trip, with Kombi Tours, where the bulk of our time was spent in a small mountainside village called Sipi on the lower slopes of Mt Elgon. The beauty of this place is overwhelming, truly indescribable. I am going to share some pictures, but I would encourage you to go and see it for yourself.(the above 3 pictures were taken from the viewing point just above the Crow’s Nest. All three waterfalls are shown in the bottom picture, can you see them?)

We stayed a place called The Crow’s Nest. I wouldn’t say it provides the most elegant accommodations Sipi has to offer, but it’s cheap, the people are fantastic and their views of the falls cannot be beat.

After arriving and dropping our things in the room we met the young man who would be our guide the following day and was basically our host during our time in Sipi. His name was Alex. Two of our traveling companions inquired with him about power, “Is there power in the reception area? We have some things we need to charge.” Alex regretfully said no, but then quickly perked up and said, “but we know that we soon will, because now we have this pole!” As he gestures to a utility pole that will one day hold a power line. This exchange was awesome. He was so sweet, sincere and matter-of-fact. You see, before he finished his sentence we were all quite certain he was going to say something like, “but we know we will have it soon because they are working on the problem now.” But it was not that the power was “out”, the power was simply not there. 

The next day we hiked the falls and along the way encountered many of the Sabiny people. Loring and I talked about how one could easily look at this village, this tribe of people and see all they lack. It is so remote. No power. Hauling water. Limited formal education. The list goes on. While all of those things may be true, at the same time, you see these kids, these families, you pick your head up and look around you, what do they lack?

No good thing.

Their life is simple. Their life is sweet. It was a welcome reminder for me of how easy it is to impress what we perceive as the necessities of a good and proper life onto others. How so often we in the west look to “things” to improve our life, give us worth or satisfy. What do we know? In my opinion, in many, many ways these people have it better than much of the developed world ever will. 

Welp. I am leaving Uganda in exactly two weeks from today. The reality of this makes my head spin. It’s like my brain cannot fully process the thought. Banage.

Several people here have refused for me to say more than, “I’m soon leaving..” They don’t want to hear about specific days or anything like that. They say it would be better to not have a teary goodbye, they’d much rather be sitting around and go, “Hey, where is Rosalie these days?” and then deal with the fact that I’m gone. Even last night at Community Group I was very purposefully using the wording, “I am soon leaving” when my friend Norman goes, “Ah ah, stop there!”, but I continued talking, not saying any specific dates or times, when again he goes, “Eh, Rosalie, just stop there. We don’t want to hear anymore.” Sigh. I’m going to miss these people, serious.

Dan gave me some good advice the other day. He suggested I do all my souvenir shopping, pack up everything and live out of my suitcase for my last week. This will allow me to simply enjoy my last little bit of time with my people and not be running around trying to get everything done. Genius. Spending those precious last days being stressed out and overwhelmed would be the worst. I am so thankful for Dan’s advisement on this.

So what does that mean for today? It means I am busting my tail off for the next week to get all the stuff done I want/need to do. I would greatly appreciate your prayers that it would be an efficiently productive week.

Monday the 28^th marks the official beginning of the Ugandan school year. This is an extremely busy time of year for us in-country Plant:Uganda/Sojourn folks. Which I suppose is somewhat perfect timing for finalizing the process of transitioning Kostya & Besweri into my role.

I am sorry if I have not made this more clear before now, but it’s important to note – Plant:Uganda and the Family Development Ministry will continue on after I leave. As the Holy Spirit so often reminds me, “It’s not about you!” (On a much less important side note, I cannot help but hear the HS’s nudging on my spirit in the voice of Dr Phil. Anybody with me? Know what I’m talking about? “IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!”) Part of the plan from the very beginning, truly before I was even involved in the process, and a significant piece of my role here, was that I would duplicate myself, handing off all my responsibilities. As I just mentioned Kostya and Besweri (also known as BW’s) will together take over my role as Sojourn’s Family Development Ministry Administrator and Plant:Uganda’s In-country Coordinator. I am so excited to see what these two do with this ministry. We have learned so much over the past two years, taking the good and the not so good and improving our aim and focus. I have great confidence in the awesomeness the year ahead is sure to hold.

Over the past two years I have had the privilege of watching BW’s grow in his faith and mature at a pretty rapid pace. He is Sojourn’s official interpreter. He leads a Community Group, Discipleship Group and a Sunday afternoon Bible reading club. The dude is a stellar mix of humble, wise and on fire for Jesus. Last year he and I were named together as Sojourn’s first two Deacons. Pretty rad. I was in good company. And Kostya, Kostya is straight awesome. A missionary from the Ukraine he moved to Uganda four years ago and immediately partnered with Dan & Loring. He has been an integral part of Sojourn since even before it was a church plant. As I have mentioned before, he has lead out the discipleship groups and mentoring of the many young men we have been gifted with at Sojourn. Needless to say this community of believers would look a lot different if these two gentlemen were not a part of it. They are what I would like to from now on refer to as “The Dream Team”. I have no doubt that in this role together they will totally dominate Wabigalo, for the sake of the Kingdom.

In addition to all of that, I think there will be a lot of benefits for Plant:Uganda to have someone (yours truly) on the ground stateside that knows so intimately and personally what this ministry is all about. Furthermore, it is my hope that with the experience and insight I have gained in my time here I will be able to aid in establishing, furthering, deepening relationships between the church in the States and the church in Uganda. 

I have had a number of people have reach out with encouraging emails and notes, asking how they can help with the pending transition. I figure, in the event there are others interested and able to help, it wouldn’t hurt to also put it out there before a broader audience. Here are the most pressing needs and ways you can help:

Prayerfully. Ever present need, of course. Specifically and most urgently for the few loose ends here in Uganda that still need to be tied up; namely, Nancy and Dorotia’s living situation. We remain with a couple options and of course I am feeling anxious and impatient, wanting to know and help plan/coordinate while I am still around. Pray for favor with our landlord, his name is Ben. We plan to keep this same place, but the situation has not yet been talked through in detail with him. It is my prayer he will be gracious and reasonable in working out the details.

Financially. For those of you who have been supporting me financially, I ask for your continued financial support through the end of February. Of course, there are a significant amount of expenses I will incur during my transition – that includes: getting me home and basic expenses for reentry into life Stateside and, also, making arrangements for things in Uganda (i.e. as mentioned above – ensuring Nancy and Dorotia remain together, Paska has money for transport to take Princess to the occupational therapy clinic each week – those are my two primary concerns). Perhaps some of you who are not regular financial supporters might consider making a one-time gift to help in covering some of these costs? You can give via the paypal by clicking the “Donate” button at the top right of this page or tax deductible donations can be given via my church – online with a credit card by following this link. On the far right part of the page there is an option for “one-time gifts”, select the final option “Plant:Uganda” and it will take you to the secure credit card input screen. *Please note my name, Rosalie Simcoe, in the comment box. You can also give by sending a check to Vintage21 Church, 103 Enterprise St., Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27607 in the memo line reference my name.

Although I have not officially accepted a job in Raleigh I am in the midst of discussions with my former employer. I am really excited about the opportunity there and hope to have the details sured up in the next week or two. I will definitely keep you posted. If you missed it, I wrote a two part blog on how I came to find myself heading back to North Carolina.

For those of you who are around NC – I plan to make be between Wilmington and Raleigh during the second half of February. See you then, eh?

So thankful to have had you be a part of this adventure.

Much love, always.