Post by Lauren
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| Our beautiful Mbale morning sky! |
Hello and happy February to you!
Each month, it is always our aim to share about our lives that we live here with you, in order
to bridge gaps and to build understanding from across barriers, boundaries, and cultures. This
month has drawn us into deep sadness over the loss of another baby yet simultaneously we
have known the love of God and have been drawn into His truth in a fresh way. There has been
a lot of processing (I will share the whole story another month) and amazing provision in my life
since the second miscarriage, to the point that it’s impossible for me to deny God’s leading
amidst my pain.
to bridge gaps and to build understanding from across barriers, boundaries, and cultures. This
month has drawn us into deep sadness over the loss of another baby yet simultaneously we
have known the love of God and have been drawn into His truth in a fresh way. There has been
a lot of processing (I will share the whole story another month) and amazing provision in my life
since the second miscarriage, to the point that it’s impossible for me to deny God’s leading
amidst my pain.
One of my favorite poets writes:
“ When suffering knocks on the door of your life, may you glimpse its eventual gifts and may
you receive the fruits of that suffering…” - John O’Donohue
you receive the fruits of that suffering…” - John O’Donohue
Therefore, I was thinking that I do not just want to tell you about what we do, but instead to share
about whom we are becoming because of the encounters that we experience throughout each
month. Eric and I deeply believe that our Creator God uses challenges and opportunities to mold,
teach, refine, and grow us as His children.
about whom we are becoming because of the encounters that we experience throughout each
month. Eric and I deeply believe that our Creator God uses challenges and opportunities to mold,
teach, refine, and grow us as His children.
In January, we welcomed 2019 not feeling the greatest so we stayed in to rest and recover! We
were excited for the opportunity to Skype with many of Eric’s siblings and some cousins who
were gathered together to ring in 2019, 12 am EST, 8 am Uganda time!
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| We got a FUN Christmas gift from Grandma Ranck, a Ranck Family calendar and a handful of Christmas cards, thank you! |
Eric is learning the ups and downs of gardening in Uganda. To me, he is a rockstar gardener
and is harvesting incredible vegetables that are so beautiful and delicious! Everyday, he
cares for his garden so well as he is working hard to evaluate what is working and what isn’t.
He does his research by consulting other agricultural companies, other practitioners in the
field, and by doing online reading. He is using a lot of his knowledge from his agriculture
degrees to go about his work in our garden and on the dairy farm that he helps with.
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| My favorite farmer shows his hardworking bountiful harvest! |
We are both learning that marriage = becoming more selfless. However, to be honest, I am
the one learning that I am just not always a nice person and I need to work harder on
maintaining a selfless posture. All that to say, Eric and I went to our first marriage
conference as a married couple called “The Art of Marriage” and since we had only been
married for 4 months when we went, we did not have a lot of experience to glean from.
However, we definitely added tools to our toolbox for our future. It was also a delightful
getaway to a beautiful town called Jinja that sits right on the Nile River.
the one learning that I am just not always a nice person and I need to work harder on
maintaining a selfless posture. All that to say, Eric and I went to our first marriage
conference as a married couple called “The Art of Marriage” and since we had only been
married for 4 months when we went, we did not have a lot of experience to glean from.
However, we definitely added tools to our toolbox for our future. It was also a delightful
getaway to a beautiful town called Jinja that sits right on the Nile River.
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| The home of dear friends, where we stayed in Jinja! |
On the topic of marriage, Eric and I are learning to walk life together each day as we strive to communicate effectively with love and a listening ear. We really love being married and allowing this relationship to teach us and transform us. I have always been a believer that true transformation happens in relationship; that indeed has been the case so far in our marriage and we are so grateful and expectant for what is ahead.
We are both learning a different pace in life. I have stepped away from the full time (and very
full it was) job that I have had at LivingStone International University (LIU) and I have started
doing part time work remotely with an organization that I know well. I deeply believe in the
missionand heart of the organization I am currently working with. I am working on modifying
and structuringcurriculum for them. In addition, I teach two classes once a week at the small
international school in our town (it reminds me so much of my teaching job in Rwanda). I also
do some side work for my old organization in South Sudan and some other projects with friends
as they come up! This new season has been very welcomed since becoming a wife and
embracing the beauty and responsibility that it holds. Eric is doing an incredible job of being
a responsible and proactive husband who takes care me as well as many house/life things.
He is preparing to start his full time work in a few months when we move to Gulu, for now,
he is enjoying the myriad of opportunities in farming and some academia. Also, we started to
go to a new church and we are really enjoying the refreshing journey of building new
friendships and being apart of a married fellowship!
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| A lady who we did not know at church had no idea what we were going through the week after the miscarriage, yet she leaned over and shared this verse with us!! This is an example and reminder of God's individual care for us! |
Eric and I still mentor groups of students at LIU and we are grateful for the students who continue
to be in our care, if they are in our mentor groups or not. It has been exceptionally incredible to
watch the students that I have known since 2014 in South Sudan blossom into truly excellent
people. Many of the students are in their last year of university and as they prepare to graduate
and take on the working world I cannot help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for who they are
and who they are becoming. It is astounding to me that I still have such incredible relationships
with so many of them and have the immense privilege of walking through life with them. They
amaze me with their strength and character and their servant-natured leadership.
to be in our care, if they are in our mentor groups or not. It has been exceptionally incredible to
watch the students that I have known since 2014 in South Sudan blossom into truly excellent
people. Many of the students are in their last year of university and as they prepare to graduate
and take on the working world I cannot help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for who they are
and who they are becoming. It is astounding to me that I still have such incredible relationships
with so many of them and have the immense privilege of walking through life with them. They
amaze me with their strength and character and their servant-natured leadership.
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| The evening sky in Gulu (our to-be new home!) |
Living cross culturally and addressing the challenges that exist in expectations, communication,
and interactions with others can often leave us with a sense of “high justice” or entitlement.
As we work through this, we hope to become people where love and humility is our first
response instead of frustration and anger just because things are not going “our way”. We aim
to become people who seek to understand before pushing the need to be understood. We desire
to learn from our Ugandan friends, colleagues, and neighbors instead of always feeling as if we
need to teach them our “right” way. We want to be people of gratitude who give thanks to the
Lord instead of presenting yet another request.
As we work through this, we hope to become people where love and humility is our first
response instead of frustration and anger just because things are not going “our way”. We aim
to become people who seek to understand before pushing the need to be understood. We desire
to learn from our Ugandan friends, colleagues, and neighbors instead of always feeling as if we
need to teach them our “right” way. We want to be people of gratitude who give thanks to the
Lord instead of presenting yet another request.
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| It is HOT here and so dry! Poor Kona is suffering! |
Most importantly, we pray that we are becoming more Christ-like in our relation to each other in
marriage and to all people around us. Eric and I are committed to reading through the Biblical
book of Psalms each day. We want to strive toward becoming people of truth in which we declare
that the Lord is our Lord in all situations that we are in (Psalm 16:2). We want to become people
who make the Lord our refuge; that when trials come, we will not flee like a bird, yet we will know
that God is our shelter in time of trouble and because of that we stand on solid ground
(Psalm 11:1-4). We yearn to trust the Lord, because He has not forsaken those who seek Him
(Psalm 9:10). We believe that the Lord is enlarging our inner territories and capacity to know and
desire Him, believe in His Word and to stand on His truth (Psalm 15:5). As we are being molded
into instruments of His Spirit through suffering and gladness, we are immensely grateful for the
opportunity to know God, to serve Him, and to be apart of building His love and truth in Uganda.
marriage and to all people around us. Eric and I are committed to reading through the Biblical
book of Psalms each day. We want to strive toward becoming people of truth in which we declare
that the Lord is our Lord in all situations that we are in (Psalm 16:2). We want to become people
who make the Lord our refuge; that when trials come, we will not flee like a bird, yet we will know
that God is our shelter in time of trouble and because of that we stand on solid ground
(Psalm 11:1-4). We yearn to trust the Lord, because He has not forsaken those who seek Him
(Psalm 9:10). We believe that the Lord is enlarging our inner territories and capacity to know and
desire Him, believe in His Word and to stand on His truth (Psalm 15:5). As we are being molded
into instruments of His Spirit through suffering and gladness, we are immensely grateful for the
opportunity to know God, to serve Him, and to be apart of building His love and truth in Uganda.
Thank you for praying for us and loving us!
Happy Valentines Day,
Eric and Lauren
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| Feeling overloading? Think about this truck! |
