Book Cover

A while back I mentioned that this photograph was going on a book cover. Well, here it is!

Here's the original...

Kisses from Katie

I want to introduce you to someone...



Her name is Katie Davis and she lives in Jinja, Uganda. She has 13 little girls that call her mama.

Her book "Kisses from Katie" is coming out tomorrow. I would encourage you to hear her story, look at the faces of her girls and the work she's doing there. Pray for her. And buy her book.

___________________________________________________________________________

Some days I wonder about this place, wonder if I'll ever end up there again. Wonder if that call on my life was taken away or if I'm just not listening. Wondering why I went there in January, why my heart doesn't long to be here the way it used to. I used to long for a life like Katie's, felt the call on my life to be in Uganda. Where did that go? Where did the faces and lives that were so deeply written on my heart go? Why aren't they there anymore? Was it because when I brought him there he became a more important part of my life than that place was, that I realized I'd choose him over Uganda, that I no longer needed my life to be tied to that one place, that I could go anywhere with him and love it? Or was it something else? Was he never supposed to be there? I'm trying to feel His leading, to let him pull my heart where He desires it. I'm praying that God can use this book to remind me of my heart's desire if it's still His. That I could listen if He asked me to go back there.

"And wisdom will honor everyone who will learn

To listen, to love, and to pray and discern

And to do the right thing even when it burns

And to live in the light through treacherous turns

A man is weak, but the spirit yearns

To keep on course from the bow to the stearn

And throw overboard every selfish concern

That tries to work for what can’t be earned

Sometimes the only way to return is to go,

Where the winds will take you

And to let go, of all, you cannot hold onto

For the hope, beyond,the blue

No one comes unless they’re drawn

By the voice of desire that leads em’ along

To the redemption of what went wrong

By the blood that coveres the innocent one

No more separation

Between us.

So lift your voice just one more time

If there’s any hope may it be a sign

That everything was made to shine

Despite what you can see

So take this bread and drink this wine

And hide your spirit within the vine

Where all things will work by a good design

For those who will believe

And let go, of all, we cannot hold onto

For the hope, beyond, the blue"

-Josh Garrels, beyond the blue

(You can download his entire album free HERE)

I finally finished editing the pictures I had of Karis! Obviously, one shouldn't take 300 pictures of the world's cutest baby and expect to be able to sift some out of the editing pile. No, I should have known that I would feel the need to edit every single one of them. So, once again, here's another batch of my sweet Ugandan born baby...

There, of course, will be more coming later. And some cute one's of the rest of her family.

But now, I need to go take a nap because my work just called and needs me to come in on call. Yay for working 5 nights in a row.

i heart faces: Soft and Sweet

This week at i Heart faces that challenge is soft and sweet. Who better to show off than sweet Karis?

This lovely little girl was born in Uganda to two amazing parents and also has two super cool older siblings who were recently adopted from Uganda.

Not only is Karis super adorable, but I love how her life started. I love that she came into being in the process of this family's quest to adopt. I love that I got to fly half way around the world and help deliver her. I love that she gets to start her life in such an amazing place with amazing people. I love her!

Go check out the other entries...

Out of the dust came something beautiful

I know this pictures pops up every so often, but it is still my favorite and fits in with Pioneer Woman's theme of beauty. For thos who don't know the story of these kids, let me recap....



In 2008 I went to Uganda for the first time. And I absolutely fell in love with it. I returned a year and a half later and had the priveledge of living with these girls. They are all living at a home for kids with HIV. Some are orphans, some have families who can't afford them, some were abandon and abused. They all have different stories and heartaches to share, but they now happy, healthy kids thriving in their new home. I was able to return again a few months ago and visit these kids which was such a treat (though exhausting).

Run over to my Uganda blog if you haven't been there before (hopefully there will be some new posts soon as I've yet to recap my latest trip).

Sweet Kisses

Meet the big sister and brother. They love their little sister.

I think one of my favorite parts of being part of Karis' birth was getting to see her big brother and sister with her. They adore her... especially G. E is perhaps a little jealous of how much of mommy's time the new baby takes. He's no longer the baby after all, and that's a hard adjustment. This was evident by the sweet kiss that was followed by a bop on the head.

P.S. This family has a fantastic story, but we'll save that for another day (and another picture).

i Heart faces: To Uganda for Karis

Meet Karis.

One year ago I met her amazing mom while living in Uganda.

A year later, I traveled half way around the world to help deliver her.

The day her mom went into labor I was camping along the Nile. When the phone call came in, I lept from the tent, quickly stuffing everything into my bag, running straight up a hill, down a dirt road, jumping onto a boda-boda (ugandan motor bike) and flying the 8 km down the bumpiest, dustiess (is that a word?) road you've every seen, then transfering into a matatu (a ugandan taxi) packed with probably 15 other people, and traveling the 2 hour road to Kampala.

It was 36 hours of labor and 5 hours of pushing.

For some reason the hospital required that we take off our shoes and put on someone elses (apparently the odd selection of sandals were cleaner than our own).

She was born on January 14, 2011 in Kampala, Uganda.

We delivered her barefoot.

She was so worth the trip!

This week's i Heart faces challenge is "Best Photo Face in January."

Go and vote for Karis. She's #296.

Welcome Karis...

Karis Annaleigh

    

i Heart faces: Silhouette

This is one of my most favorite pictures, taken in Jinja, Uganda almost a year ago. All of the amazing girls in this picture live at a children's home for children with HIV.

i Heart faces: The Story of Uganda

This week the i Heart faces photo challenge is photojournalism...

This collage tells the story of a beautiful place called Jinja, Uganda and the children that live there. It's a place where children are abandon. Where kids have to care for other kids. Where children with HIV can link hands and joyfully walk down the road on their way for a swim. These are the children that I love, whose names and faces are ingraved in my heart and whose stories I love to tell.

Top: Jonah, Left: Cathy and Gloria, Right: Rachel, Esther, Chayla, Stella, Aly, Daphne