Engage in Deeper Relationships

At the surface this Uganda trip appears to focus on my teaching experience.  What coincidence that the  nursing education module I'm assigned to is called "Teaching and Learning Processes for Adults".  My role as the visiting Professor is to impart to my graduate nursing students my knowledge in regards to philosophies of teaching/learning. The uniqueness of this teaching assignment not only lies on the cultural aspects of my experience.  It is also how our Christian World View shapes the way in which we teach.  Almost 10 years of teaching allowed me to develop my people skills and teaching styles. This is the first time in my life that I was able to integrate my faith in God and my teaching career.  Of course this does not discount my family's mission as volunteers for KCC Sunday School.

I thank God for placing specific desires in my heart.  He never seizes to amaze me with blessings, provisions and spiritual gifts all of which I'm fully aware I don't deserve.  I have fallen spiritually many times and yet God the Father almighty just sweeps me off my feet to start all over again.  I've given my parents heartaches for they both have great visions, a great and rich life for me.  My siblings have great expectations and they have unwavering support whenever I fall.

What's this engagement in deeper relations?  Let me expand on my mission trip experience because I find God to have a great sense of humor.  Our God is almighty and no one or nothing can stop His great plans for His children, that's you and me.  My first Africa mission trip was full of challenges, revelations and forgiveness.  God watches over us all the time.  He knows our hearts & thoughts, that is our pure thoughts and true intentions.  Others may make judgments and to me what's more important is my deepest relationship with Jesus. The engagement that has been going on since I was decided to be me.

I believe that God afforded me this "all paid for" blessing in disguise mission trip disguise as teaching assignment. For what reasons I can only think of one thing that remains true - that he loves me, oh how he loves me...

Made it to Uganda Christian University Mukono Campus

God is good all the time.  All the time God is good!  God also has perfect timing.  Arrived @ Entebbe Airport here in Uganda, Africa @ around 11:30 pm Sunday night after two full days of travel.  From Honolulu last Friday night connecting Tacoma Seattle, WA. Had a 6-hr lay over in WA before boarding a flight to Amsterdam Schipoli, Netherlands.  Wait that's not the end of my travel. We connected to Kigali, Rwanda but this time we didn't leave the plane.  Final destination @ Entebbe Airport, Uganda.  I made it to UCU campus Monday 6/2/14 @ almost 1 am.

God has brought me back to the Pearl of Africa, the beautiful country of Uganda.  January 11, 2013 was the first time I laid eyes at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mukono campus.  Bless Africa Team 2012-2013 was set to return back to Hawaii the next day.  Every good gifts come from The Lord and this is a great gift from Him.

I met my nursing students last Monday afternoon.  I will post pictures here when I get my MacBook Air laptop working.  I start my classes today. More later.

Gratitude Produces Joy

Gratitude by Christopher Parkening:

"Play for the Lord to give Him Glory.  You tried your best so don’t dwell on your mistakes. Be grateful for the performance God gave you.  Gratitude produces Joy which is the deep down confidence that God is in perfect control of everything and will bring it all together for our good and His glory in time and eternity."

Success vs Excellence

PERSEVERANCE:  "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  Philippians: 3:12

God works in mysterious ways.  He continues to amaze me with his love, mercy, faithfulness and compassion.  All there is left to do is gratefulness to our God Almighty who is in control of everything.

As I go about with my daily activities each day I perform for the Lord.  Some days I make mistakes by not being christian-like to someone mostly to my husband.  When I have had a bad day at work, when I get home I oftentimes yell and get resentful because I had to work hard everyday.  By the end of the day I feel bad about what I did.  I ask God for forgiveness but I'm still trying to get myself into apologizing to my husband.

In the same way as Mr. Parkening, a professional guitarist, I dwell on my mistakes.  I try to do things on my own.  Time and time again I discover that God is in control of everything.  Here's a glimpse of Mr. Parkening's perspective about gratitude which I agree with as I perform for the Lord.

Gratitude by Christopher Parkening:

"Play for the Lord to give Him Glory.  You tried your best so don’t dwell on your mistakes. Be grateful for the performance God gave you.  Gratitude produces Joy which is the deep the down confidence that God is in perfect control of everything and will bring it all together for our good and His glory in time and eternity."

KCC Testimony

It is through my first mission trip with Bless Africa 2012 here at KCC that God led me to this second trip as a Fulbright Scholar invited to teach as a faculty for the Masters of Science in Nursing Program at Uganda Christian University in Mukono, Kampala, Uganda, Africa.

In 2013 during our last day at Kampala, Uganda, Africa, Moses, Gloria Chapman's hanai son graciously took some of us on a field trip to Uganda Christian University.  Moses was attending UCU at the time as a law student.  During our trip, this bright purple bus with a big sign "Nursing Program" caught my attention (show the picture).  Needless to say I was determined to find out about the program.  This is not strange because I love the color purple.

As soon as we arrived back here in Honolulu, I immediately contacted the Vice-Chancellor at UCU via email.  To my surprise within 2 days, I received an email response from Dr. Karen Drake from Bethel University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She is the Program Director of the MSN program at UCU.  UCU and Bethel University has an affiliation.  Some UCU nursing students attend chosen classes at Bethel and Bethel nursing students go to UCU for an immersion class.

I was initially offered a one-year Fulbright Scholarship but I opted for the module teaching 4-6 weeks since Ray didn't want to leave KCC.

So God prepared me and my family for this second trip.  I remember Pastor Perry saying if you pray a lot eventually at least one of your prayers will be answered and this is the one.  Pastor Perry's recent sermons spoke to me and I started asking myself, is this second trip to Uganda truly God-led, God's will and God's plan.  My family has been praying a lot about many things.

I consulted the most credible source, The Word of God and this is what God told me:

This trip is God-led:  In Isaiah 48:17, God said "I am the Lord your God who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."

This is God's will:  Romans 8:28-29 reminds us that ..."And we know that for those who love God all things will work together for good, those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

And lastly this is God's plan.  In Jeremiah 29:11 God said, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

So let me practice and you will be my class.  I say, "God is good all the time".  and you all say, "All the time God is good!"

I believe that God has his hands on this trip.  Thank you all for your love, support and prayers.  You're all going with me to Uganda Christian University in SPIRIT!  Thank you.

Uganda Christian University

Who would ever imagine that a non-US institution that I've never heard of would be my next destination as a nursing faculty?  God must have known my true passion.  I dreamed of serving in the Peace Corp even before I completed a college degree.  All I know is that I'm going to travel to under developed countries other than the Philippines and serve those who are less fortunate.

This is a picture of the future Uganda leaders from Siita Nest Orphanage.  Our church supports them to complete their college degrees to better their lives and others around them.  Most of them attends Uganda Christian University.  Below is the entrance of UCU where I will soon be teaching.

UCU is such a beautiful campus that I felt at home the first time I visited last January 11, 2013.  The most exciting part of my first visit was the discovery of the adorable Nursing Program bus.  As you can see how excited I was to find out that UCU has a nursing program!

Few of the Bless Africa Team 2012-2013 had the privilege to tour UCU campus.  It was registration day for Spring Semester as you can see in the background with white tents.

A newly built library was one of the highlights of our visit.  It was a huge building with modern equipment although the Nursing section still need more resources for the students.

I continue to pray that God will guide as I embark in this new chapter of my life as a nursing faculty.  May I impart my knowledge and skills to the best of my ability and share the love of Jesus Christ in every nursing student that I touch at UCU.  May I help the students find their unique talents and spark their passion to be nurse educators and leaders in their community.  

God's Timing

Over a year ago I was just contemplating on sending my application for the Fulbright Scholar Program. Yes, that was a year ago.  Today, I'm awaiting a special packet from the U.S. Embassy for my travel back to Uganda, Africa.  Yes, I was recommended by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education's Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) for the Fulbright Specialist Roster.  I'm a candidate for project requests from overseas academic institutions.  I have since been invited to teach for the Masters of Science in Nursing program at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Mukono, Kampala, Uganda.

I'm very excited about this great opportunity.  I believe that this is God's doing and it is in His timing.  I pray that this will be a beginning of a great mission and thank God for giving a glimpse of His plan for me and for my family.

God's kisses

I'm going to start counting God's kisses in my life.  Scars are blessings in disguise.  I say this with a passion.  There comes a time in my life that I never imagined to be the person that I am today.  I remember the song, "I'm not who I was" by Brandon Heath.  "I wish you could see me now, I wish I could show you how I'm not who I was".  I really wish my mom and dad could see me now.  And I wish I could show them that I've grown into the person that they wanted me to be.  All thanks to both of them who gave great values to live by.