yes yes

so, let me tell you a little about Uganda. The people are very nice and eager to be helpful. The food is very healthy and a meal is usually just a mixture of different fruits and vegetables. There are very few meals when you will eat meat or lots of grains. There are so many different kinds of fresh fruits. the pineapple is amazing to taste and is very fresh. You will probably have a meal with avocados twice a day. they cook their food au natural, and don't add all sorts of ingredients to it. It is usually boiled or baked. the driving is quite an experience and drivers keep left. it is a strange feeling to climb into a vehicle on the left side and not have a steering wheel in front of you. Also, there are very few roadsigns and traffic is terrible. People drive around with little or no regard for other drivers. alot of times you will have to keep your feet on the brakes so as not to crash. The mini buses are the worst. they will swerve right in front of you and then stop to let passengers on or off. Also motorbikes are everywhere and have a complete disregard for all other traffic. People are walking on both sides of the road and it is a very hectic time when you ride in the car. Because of the lack of proper road signs and driving laws the traffic is terrible and you will wait for hours in a traffic jam because there are no traffic lights. It is always an adventure.

More to come

Love,

luke

Here I am, live from Uganda

Hello everyone,

 

I want to let you all know that I have indeed made it safely to Uganda. I arrived at nine am local time at entebbe airport. However, only half of my checked luggage made the journey with me. The other half is still in jolly london town. That is alright, because some of my clothes and most of my shower gear and stuff made it, so life is fine. the rest of my luggage will be here tomorrow. It is currently ten fifteen in the morning on friday here in kampala, the capitol city of Uganda. I've been here for over two days. I am finally getting over my jet lag and am really enjoying my time here. Yesterday was a restful day and I spent most of it working on some lessons. I also slept off a lot of my travel tiredness as well. The people here are so very nice and they have been very concerned with my well being. I will remain in Kampala for the next few days and then I will travel on to Kapchorwa. which is about seven hours north and east from here. I am having a great time, and am overjoyed to be able to get out of the house. The weather is Sunny and eighties. NO SNOW!!! how nice. I am a bit scatterbrained right now, so I will try to update better later.

but i don't know when later will be. Perhaps a week.

please continue to pray as I travel to Kapchorwa and start my ministry. I will be busy daily. Aggrey has told me that there is much work there to do and the people there are very eager to hear the gospel. The harvest is ripe and the workers are few, as Jesus said. I look forward to next week when I can start my ministry fully.

I love you all and pray that you are having a good time, and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

if you would like to email me, it is lukeryggs@gmail.com.

Love and Peace,

Beret Lukas Ryggs

departure

We are the departed. 

we are the ones leaving,

the ones wasting our days at the airport.

we are the ones heading off into the unknown.

the new,

the open,

the blank canvas,

with a full array of paint.

The ones writing the stories of our lives on the pages of history.

for one reason,

for one purpose.

there is one driving force in the heart of us.

motivated

strengthened

to walk past the mountain and reach what is on the other side.

to go beyond the call.

beyond what is demanded.

to offer all, complete surrender.

for what reason,

for what purpose?

For GOD, Our LORD.

26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

basically, i'm leaving monday.

love you all, see ya later

one week closer to living... abroad that is.

I've just finished the first part of my packing. I'm finally getting very excited. "I'll soon be living in a brand new state, a brand new state. OOOOOklahoma." I'm now to the point where I've gotten over my pre-trip jitters and am ready to get a move on. I went through a state of mind where every day I would wake up a bit nervous and realize that it won't be long until I'm leave on what might be the most lifechanging moment in my life. There were times of great panic and for a while I dwelt on the fact that I am not ready and am scared as all get out about this trip. But now I've realized that it's not my battle to fight. God will take care of my needs and strengthen me for this trip. I have come to this psalm many times before and it has always refreshed my spirit and quieted my soul. The psalm I am talking about is psalm 121. It talks about God's faithfulness to his people and how his unfailing love and protection surrounds us as we seek to do his will.

Psalm 121

The LORD the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

    1I will ^(A)lift up my eyes to ^(B)the mountains;
         From where shall my help come? 
    2My ^(C)help comes from the LORD,
         Who ^(D)made heaven and earth. 
    3He will not ^(E)allow your foot to slip;
         He who ^(F)keeps you will not slumber. 
    4Behold, He who keeps Israel
         Will neither slumber nor sleep. 
    5The LORD is your ^(G)keeper;
         The LORD is your ^(H)shade on your right hand. 
    6The ^(I)sun will not smite you by day,
         Nor the moon by night. 
    7The LORD will ^[a](J)protect you from all evil;
         He will keep your soul. 
    8The LORD will ^[b](K)guard your going out and your coming in
         ^(L)From this time forth and forever.

As we look to the mountains, we realize what a journey we have been on and where it will eventually take us. The mountains mentioned in this psalm are the ones surrounding Jerusalem and the Jewish people would sing this song as they were coming to Jerusalem to worship and offer sacrifices at God's temple. The mountains were a sign that the people were close to Jerusalem, only about a day's journey away, but that was not the safest journey. The foothills around the mountains were treacherous and were know to house bandits and theives hoping to prey on the pilgrims and they neared Jerusalem. To look to the mountains was to trust God and know that He was watching over you and that your help came from him. To know that he will not let you foot slip on the slope going up the mountain and that he will not slumber nor sleep. God surely is watching over us still today. I find peace knowing that as I approach the mountains in my life I can look ahead of me to the challenges that I will soon face and know that God is there supporting me and watching over me. Knowing this gives me strength to carry on and allows me to be free from worrying and recklessly abandon trusting myself and allows me to set my mind on the things of God. 

Keep it real, I'm gonna get a tan,

Shalom

Beret