Heart to Heart

Dear reader,

This post has been one that has been coming for quite some time. It has been in my heart and it is time to "get it out there".

Kick back with your favorite beverage, we may be here awhile.

As Tamala and I started building our lives together some five and a half years ago many things have happened. We lost her Mother on our second anniversary and had to lay her to rest a few days later. She was one very, VERY special lady! She touched many lives for our Father. We still miss her tremendously; but we wouldn't bring her back for anything. She is in the arms of Father God and smiling down on us.

We have attempted to adopt children only to be met with resistence by this world's "system" because we will NOT give in to their agenda and condone homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. We finally told them we received their message loud and clear. We told them we realize they have no intention of adopting children to us, so, just take our names off your list. That WAS plan A. Thus far, plan B has not revealed itself. It may not. So Tamala and I press on....to the high calling of Christ Jesus. I've been discussing aspects of children with Tamala and said "maybe we aren't supposed to children of our own. Maybe we're supposed to love the children around us! Children in which we come in contact. Perhaps we're supposed to love the children of the world, as our own children." We don't have the answers, but what we do have, is, the knowledge that Father God has our best interest at heart and He knows what He is doing. In that, we find peace and strength.

We have had folks both older than ourselves and younger than ourselves. Some of these folks we have "connected" with on some deep spiritual level. We have spiritual Mentors that impart great wisdom and love in our lives. We in turn, have begun to become mentors to those younger than ourselves.

We became acquainted with a young married couple by and through our spiritual mentors. We have "connected" and together as a group of three separate families, we have realized God has a divine purpose and plan for bringing us together.

The young man, Sam, literally walked out of his village in Uganda Africa in an endeavor to seek out and bring back help for his people. Sam met his young bride in South Africa a few years back. Jessica is an American young woman with a heart for God's people. They established a ministry to feed and clothe the people back in Sam's village in Uganda. Their ministry website is: http://www.wavuuviafrica.org/WavuuviAfrica.html if you would like to learn more. Sam and Jessica asked us to serve on the their Board of Directors because we have "caught the vision".

Judi Jones, our spiritual mentor, and I have been working together in a couple of non profit organizations she created in times past. One of the non profits, Launch Pad Studios, Judi asked me to be the Project Director. Our main focus is personal development, and to help educate those in this world who have not been afforded the educational opportunities with which we have been blessed.

After getting to know Sam and Jessica we were made aware of cultural differences between Uganda and America. For example, there is no public education in Uganda. You pay for all the schooling for your children from the time they start in Kindergarten. If you have sons and daughers in your family, it is customary that you send your son to school before you send your daughters. In Uganda, women are considered a lower class of the citizenry. We also have been informed that the vast majority of children in the village go without shoes. Many villagers don't know when they will eat their next meal. There isn't any running water, whatsoever. The only restroom facility is simply a hole dug in the ground with crude walls surrounding it. The literally live in grass huts.

Poverty - is the operative word here dear readers.

The informational background just shared is to be considered the foundation of what we share next.

I have considered myself fairly pragmatic most of the time. If I see something that I believe that my skill set can make a positive impact, generally I will endeavor to make a contribution especially if it is something in which I can "believe". So, after careful consideration and discussions with Tamala, Judi Jones, Sam and Jessica, we have initiated: Project Uganda.

November 2011 - we have planned a missions trip to travel to Kalonga, located in the Mubende District of Uganda, Africa. It is the team's intent to bring not only the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Sam's native village but also various kinds of "practical" assistance. If you remember, Jesus not only ministered to the spiritual hunger of the people but only fed their physical bodies as well.

If you recall, I mentioned the children go without shoes. The problem with this is that because there are not paved roads or sidewalks, the children's feet are in constant contact with the ground. They have insects called "jiggers" in Uganda which bury themselves in the flesh of the toes. They have to be removed physcially, many times by digging them out with a sharp instrument, and then, they insert their feet into a mixture of peppers boiled in water in order to kill the eggs the "jiggers" have laid in the flesh. So you can imagine this process is quite uncomfortable. This is why we need to take shoes.

It is also the intent of the mission to teach the villagers the inherent worth of each individual, the love of God, and how men should treat their women with respect and allow them to have dignity.

There are so many things that I could continue to share. However, I am aware everyone's time is quite valuable. Rest assured that more will be forthcoming into the blog-o-sphere regarding the mission.

We covet your prayers in the next year. We want the wisdom of God, His guidance and protection in every aspect related to our mission.

I sincerely believe we are living in the last days. Jesus can appear at ANY moment! I want to be about my Father's business. This is kingdom business and I am fully pursuaded we can make a difference in the lives of a few.

Jesus himself instructed us to look after the poor because they will always be with us. This is something I can do.

Shalom!
Kevin

How much?! Really??!! Update on 50 X 50

Okay here is the way last Friday unfolded - I had made an appointment with my Chiropractor because my mid-back had been hurting for better than a week and didn't seem to be getting any better.

I arrived at the Dr.s office and asked where there physicians scale was located. The assistant showed me where it was in the Xray room. I began unloaded my pockets, you know....keys, cell phone,etc.; kicked off my shoes and I was ready.

Now, mind you that my heaviest point was 312 lbs. and that was earlier this year I think. I definitely know it was within the last year. So, I set the weight calibrator on 250 lbs because I know I had lost about 25 lbs already; and slide the small calibrator all the way to the right which read 300 lbs.

Now I start sliding back to the left. I slid through the 290s but I expected that, continued through the 280s but wasn't really surprised because I know how loosely my clothes were fitting these days, but when I started sliding into the 270s and the calibrator still wasn't budging my eyes began to widen; and then........I continued to BLAST through the 270s and finally stopped at ......... 267 lbs. That's right, it's official....I've lost 45 lbs! I had to look at it twice; I was in dis-belief. So I started the process all over again and yep, it went right back down to 267#. I cannot tell you how SHOCKED I was. I had no idea that I'd lost that much. I was so exicted that I took a pic of the scale. Although it isn't the best pic....I know what it said; then I emailed it to Tamala while she was at work!



I think I can safely say that it may have been 25 years since I've been in the 260's. I'd have to do some checking,that is if I have records back that far.

Blessings!