When we were still in Canada this summer I found out that my Wednesday morning Bible study would be doing Beth Moore's study on James. I was very excited about this as my mother-in-law had just finished this study with her Wednesday morning Bible study and said it was a great study. Little did I know at the time that God would have me studying James from September to July.
On Thursday's at lunch time another MAF lady and myself teach a Bible study for the ladies in the MAF office. We decided that since we would be studying James already that we will study James with the ladies in the office as well. Our format for the office is a little different as the end of the month gets a little busy for them. So we only meet the first two Thursdays of the month. We spend both of these weeks on one chunk of James, so you can see we are taking our time going through the book.
In my Wednesday Bible study we have finished the Beth Moore study, and now have moved on to Judges. I am happy to say that for the first time I finished all of the homework for one of her studies. I thank God that He gave me the strength to get it done, and on time.
So at this season of my life God has asked me to study James a little deeper. What I have learned already is pretty amazing. The two things that stand out to me so far are... One, to live out, my faith in God and Jesus Christ my Savior, in every day life. Two, how am I using my tongue? Is it bringing glory to my God or destroying what He has created? It is not always easy to do these things, but with God's help all things are possible.
As I continue to study what God says in James, I ask you to pray with me, that I would listen to Him and that I would not give up when things get tough. That I would allow myself to be molded by the potter's hands.
26 February 2015
28 November 2014
Being Thankful
I know it seams weird to talk about this topic in November for a Canadian, but I am not in Canada right now so stay with me. Living in Uganda the 13th of October was not a holiday and nether is the 27th November.
In our MAF Uganda program right now their are 3 families from Canada and 3 from the USA. Back in September one of the American ladies and I were talking about what each of us was going to do to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. One of us suggested we do a joint celebration in between the two dates. So a plan was born.
We had our "Ugandan Thanksgiving" on 8th November. The Derksen house was the location for the festivities. There were 35 people between the 6 families and 12 of those were the adults (there are a lot of children in the MAF Uganda program).
With all this being said I wanted to say what I am thankful for this year...
I am a Child of God, I don't have to do life on my own strength.
Dallas, the wonderful husband that God has given me.
Our children, they are healthy and willing to go wherever mom and dad go.
Family, for supporting us as we follow God direction for us.
Great MAF Uganda Family, you make living away from immediate family so much easier.
Acacia International School, a good place for the kids to go this new school year.
A "new to us" house, a little more space.
I know there are many more things to be thankful for, but that is all I am going to write for now.
To all my family and friends, Happy "Belated" Thanksgiving to the Canadians and a Happy Thanksgiving to the Americans.
In our MAF Uganda program right now their are 3 families from Canada and 3 from the USA. Back in September one of the American ladies and I were talking about what each of us was going to do to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. One of us suggested we do a joint celebration in between the two dates. So a plan was born.
We had our "Ugandan Thanksgiving" on 8th November. The Derksen house was the location for the festivities. There were 35 people between the 6 families and 12 of those were the adults (there are a lot of children in the MAF Uganda program).
With all this being said I wanted to say what I am thankful for this year...
I am a Child of God, I don't have to do life on my own strength.
Dallas, the wonderful husband that God has given me.
Our children, they are healthy and willing to go wherever mom and dad go.
Family, for supporting us as we follow God direction for us.
Great MAF Uganda Family, you make living away from immediate family so much easier.
Acacia International School, a good place for the kids to go this new school year.
A "new to us" house, a little more space.
I know there are many more things to be thankful for, but that is all I am going to write for now.
To all my family and friends, Happy "Belated" Thanksgiving to the Canadians and a Happy Thanksgiving to the Americans.
6 November 2014
Another Update
OK so it turns out I might be a 7-8 month blogger. I guess you can expect to get an update twice a year from me of the everyday goings on from the Derksen's in Uganda.
In March I posted about our Christmas. A lot of things have happened between then and now.
The beginning of April we moved house. We now have a little more space and Drew is in the same part of the house as we are. Shortly after moving we celebrated Drew's 12th Birthday with 16 kids running around. It was a great day for him.
In May we celebrated another Birthday, Katrina turned 11. Apparently we are bad picture takers because we seem to have forgotten we had a camera. There are no pictures from her special day this year. We will try to do better next year.
June found us starting preparations for our "mid-term break" in Canada. On the 18th of June we flew back to Canada for a break. We were able to see our families and get some rest before heading back to Uganda. Sorry we could not see all of you but when we come to Canada in 2016 it will be our "Home Asignment". That will be the end of our term and we will come to see you. We came back to Uganda on the 15th of August and have settled back into life again.
On the 26th of August the kids started school again. This time at Acacia International School. At the end of school last year we decided our children needed a change in school. We found Acacia, it is a Christian school. This is its third year of operation and the first year for grades 6-8 so smaller class sizes which appealed to us very much. The kids have been enjoying their year so far. We have seen a great change in how they look at school and learning. Praise the Lord!
In September we celebrated another birthday. It was Jacqueline's turn to get a year older. She turned 10 this year and now we have all our children in double digits. Where has the time gone?
That brings us up to date again. October was us living out our daily actives. Dallas flew planes or worked at the hanger. The kids went to school and did homework. I made sure we had food in the house, clean clothes, acted as bus driver, and did flight following.
In March I posted about our Christmas. A lot of things have happened between then and now.
The beginning of April we moved house. We now have a little more space and Drew is in the same part of the house as we are. Shortly after moving we celebrated Drew's 12th Birthday with 16 kids running around. It was a great day for him.
 |
| Playing a game together. |
June found us starting preparations for our "mid-term break" in Canada. On the 18th of June we flew back to Canada for a break. We were able to see our families and get some rest before heading back to Uganda. Sorry we could not see all of you but when we come to Canada in 2016 it will be our "Home Asignment". That will be the end of our term and we will come to see you. We came back to Uganda on the 15th of August and have settled back into life again.
On the 26th of August the kids started school again. This time at Acacia International School. At the end of school last year we decided our children needed a change in school. We found Acacia, it is a Christian school. This is its third year of operation and the first year for grades 6-8 so smaller class sizes which appealed to us very much. The kids have been enjoying their year so far. We have seen a great change in how they look at school and learning. Praise the Lord!
 | ||
| New School Uniforms |
 |
| 10 Candles |
5 March 2014
MAF (Missionaries Are Flexible)
This last Christmas had a bit of a twist to it.
We invited the Schlatters, another MAF family, to come share the day with us, and have a Christmas meal together. They are also a pilot family, have three children too, and the kids all get along well together. So we would have 10 of us all together for Christmas day.
Then as I was doing Fox Fox (In the phonetic alphabet F is "foxtrot", so "Fox Fox" is short for "flight following") on December 17 we found out that the air space in South Sudan was now closed. It opened again few days later and MAF started to evacuate people out of South Sudan.
On the Sunday before Christmas we found out that a family of 7 was going to be evacuated on Christmas Eve, and they would be staying with the Schlatter family. They asked if it would be alright if they joined us for Christmas day. We said yes it was just fine if they joined us for the day. We were already planing to do hamburgers for dinner so it was very easy to add a few more.
Another family of 3 was also evacuated at the same time, and they joined us as well. We end up having 20 people at our house to celebrate the birth of Christ. It is defiantly a Christmas we will not soon forget. The life of an MAF missionary, flexibility at all times (MAF = Missionaries Are Flexible).
We invited the Schlatters, another MAF family, to come share the day with us, and have a Christmas meal together. They are also a pilot family, have three children too, and the kids all get along well together. So we would have 10 of us all together for Christmas day.
Then as I was doing Fox Fox (In the phonetic alphabet F is "foxtrot", so "Fox Fox" is short for "flight following") on December 17 we found out that the air space in South Sudan was now closed. It opened again few days later and MAF started to evacuate people out of South Sudan.
On the Sunday before Christmas we found out that a family of 7 was going to be evacuated on Christmas Eve, and they would be staying with the Schlatter family. They asked if it would be alright if they joined us for Christmas day. We said yes it was just fine if they joined us for the day. We were already planing to do hamburgers for dinner so it was very easy to add a few more.
 | ||
| The makeshift table for the day. Notice the Canadian touch. |
 |
| Digging in to the food. |
 |
| The chef! |
 |
| The kids playing some Wii. |
 |
| Working of some energy, they played this game for 2 hours. |
Another family of 3 was also evacuated at the same time, and they joined us as well. We end up having 20 people at our house to celebrate the birth of Christ. It is defiantly a Christmas we will not soon forget. The life of an MAF missionary, flexibility at all times (MAF = Missionaries Are Flexible).
26 February 2014
Flight Following
OK so I am not very good about keeping up to date on my life here in Uganda. It has been 7 months from my last post. Life has been full!
My weeks got a little fuller at the beginning of November when I started training to "flight follow".
What is "flight following"?
Any time a MAF plain is going on a flight it is in radio contact with someone on the ground. On Tuesday mornings I am now that person. I have been learning the phonetic alphabet, I can almost get it all when the pilot uses it to spell something, and to record time in "Greenwhich Mean" or "Zulu" time. I am also learning to write numbers really fast.
When the pilot it ready to taxi for take off he will call on the radio and let me know where he is going, how many people are on board, and the weight of the aircraft. Once he is in the air he calls again to let me know what time he got into the air, his estimated time of arrival or ETA, and how far off the ground he is flying.
Half an hour after take off he then calls with his position in longitude and latitude. If the flight is more then an hour a call will be made every half hour until landing.
When the pilot has reached the destination he calls to let me know he is landing, and then calls again when safely on the ground.
When the plan is ready for the next destination the whole process starts over again.
This is all done to keep the pilots and airplanes safe. If there is a problem or emergency we can better asses what the solution will be with the information the pilot has give the "flight follower".
Like I said lots of numbers.
Right now I go to the MAF office to man the radio on Tuesday morning, but am hoping to do it from home in the near future.
So this is what my Tuesday mornings look like now. I am really enjoying the experience and being a part of the flights we do here in Uganda, South Sudan, and East DRC.
My weeks got a little fuller at the beginning of November when I started training to "flight follow".
What is "flight following"?
Any time a MAF plain is going on a flight it is in radio contact with someone on the ground. On Tuesday mornings I am now that person. I have been learning the phonetic alphabet, I can almost get it all when the pilot uses it to spell something, and to record time in "Greenwhich Mean" or "Zulu" time. I am also learning to write numbers really fast.
When the pilot it ready to taxi for take off he will call on the radio and let me know where he is going, how many people are on board, and the weight of the aircraft. Once he is in the air he calls again to let me know what time he got into the air, his estimated time of arrival or ETA, and how far off the ground he is flying.
Half an hour after take off he then calls with his position in longitude and latitude. If the flight is more then an hour a call will be made every half hour until landing.
When the pilot has reached the destination he calls to let me know he is landing, and then calls again when safely on the ground.
When the plan is ready for the next destination the whole process starts over again.
This is all done to keep the pilots and airplanes safe. If there is a problem or emergency we can better asses what the solution will be with the information the pilot has give the "flight follower".
Like I said lots of numbers.
Right now I go to the MAF office to man the radio on Tuesday morning, but am hoping to do it from home in the near future.
So this is what my Tuesday mornings look like now. I am really enjoying the experience and being a part of the flights we do here in Uganda, South Sudan, and East DRC.
29 July 2013
Update
Wow a lot has happened since I last wrote about "Driving".
I last wrote about life here in Uganda in March. Then we had a few Birthdays that I mentioned, but a lot more has gone on between then and now.
At the end of March we had two visitors. Dallas' parents came and spent two weeks with us. It was a lot of fun to show them around and let them see a little of what our lives are like here in Uganda.
In April we celebrated Drew's Birthday. one year in Uganda for everyone. That year seemed to fly by. I think because everyone settled in so quickly to life here.
May it was Katrina's turn to have a birthday. In the MAF families here there are six children with birthdays in May, four of then are close to the same age. Because of this us moms do one party for all of them at the same time. This way they get many kids at the party and we don't have to have a party every week. This year we had it were there is a big swimming pool.
The kids worked really hard in June to finish their school year well. All of them did great and got WOW Awards for Amazing Progress. I am very proud for them! They changed country, school and school curriculum.
Drew is now done with elementary and will be going to secondary next year.
The beginning of July Dallas and I celebrated 13 years of being married. I got to ride with him as he did the Karamoja shuttle, and then we went out for supper with no kids.
I am almost done with this long update.
Two weeks ago on the 12th of July we got up early and went to the Entebbe airport to meet a team from one of our home churches. This team had some special people one it for us. Dallas' older sister and younger brother. After seeing them at the airport they got on a bus to go up to Karuma to work at an orphanage for a week and a bit. Then this last Monday they all came back to Kampala for a day and a half before they flew back to Canada. So we got to spend some time with Tanya and Darren. Darren stayed for two extra days and went with Dallas on a flight.
That brings us to now. We are all up to date.
I last wrote about life here in Uganda in March. Then we had a few Birthdays that I mentioned, but a lot more has gone on between then and now.
At the end of March we had two visitors. Dallas' parents came and spent two weeks with us. It was a lot of fun to show them around and let them see a little of what our lives are like here in Uganda.
 |
| Mini Golf Africa style |
 |
| Drew opening his remote helicopter |
 |
| Katrina with her Birthday friends |
Drew is now done with elementary and will be going to secondary next year.
The beginning of July Dallas and I celebrated 13 years of being married. I got to ride with him as he did the Karamoja shuttle, and then we went out for supper with no kids.
 |
| My driver for the day |
I am almost done with this long update.
Two weeks ago on the 12th of July we got up early and went to the Entebbe airport to meet a team from one of our home churches. This team had some special people one it for us. Dallas' older sister and younger brother. After seeing them at the airport they got on a bus to go up to Karuma to work at an orphanage for a week and a bit. Then this last Monday they all came back to Kampala for a day and a half before they flew back to Canada. So we got to spend some time with Tanya and Darren. Darren stayed for two extra days and went with Dallas on a flight.
That brings us to now. We are all up to date.
25 May 2013
Katrina Joy
On the 6th of May we had another birthday in our house. Katrina Joy is now in the double digits with her brother. Our little Katie is now 10, oh my!
I did this for Drew last month so I thought I would do it for Katrina too.
Katrina Joy
Kind - she always wants to do something nice for you.
Ambitious - willing to do her best.
Thoughtful - thinking of ways to show someone she cares.
Radiant - she seems to always be showing her joy.
Intelligent - catches on to things fairly quickly.
Namesake - Katrina means the same as Karen, and her middle name and mine are the same.
Artistic - has a natural inclination to make her thoughts seen.
Joyful - she is living up to her name.
Observant - catches things quickly and remembers it for a long time. Sometimes I wish she would
not remember so much.
Youthful - she is enjoying life.
I did this for Drew last month so I thought I would do it for Katrina too.
Katrina Joy
Kind - she always wants to do something nice for you.
Ambitious - willing to do her best.
Thoughtful - thinking of ways to show someone she cares.
Radiant - she seems to always be showing her joy.
Intelligent - catches on to things fairly quickly.
Namesake - Katrina means the same as Karen, and her middle name and mine are the same.
Artistic - has a natural inclination to make her thoughts seen.
Joyful - she is living up to her name.
Observant - catches things quickly and remembers it for a long time. Sometimes I wish she would
not remember so much.
Youthful - she is enjoying life.
Happy Birthday Katrina!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)