A letter from me to my friends and family:

I just wanted to let you all know that I will be sending e-mail updates to anyone who asks.  They will be very personal and I will not post them on my blog.  If you want to receive updates, please let me know in a quick e-mail to ginajaye@gmail.com.  But for now, here is the text of my letter that I sent my friends and familyDecember 3 IS approaching fast.  I basically have everything that I need to go.  I do have a few more fun items to pick up.  I just got an e-mail from Abby and she asked me to bring powdered coffee creamer and peanut m&ms.  Got the creamer covered and I will pick up the m&ms soon.  I have had lots of old necklaces and beads donated.  I have had a lot of fun cutting apart the necklaces and sorting the beads.  One of my gal pals makes glass beads and gave me a whole bag of cast offs.  I am not sure why she cast them off, because they are beautiful.  Thank you.  I have a funny request for you.  Go through your cupboards and if you have any herbal teas that you aren't going to drink please donate them for me to take.  A ziplock bag would do for packaging .  If you are at the dollar store buy a box of fun bandaids and send those.  What kid doesn't love a fun bandage?  Another thing is if you have read a good book that you think I might like, tell me the title so I can put it on my Kindle to take with me.  As you know, I am limited to three bags.  So I am grateful for having a Kindle.  A new laptop was donated, Yay!  (thank you) And I hope to buy a cheap lightweight cordless printer next week.  Maybe black Friday! HA!  My bags are filled with games, and 2 pairs of roller blades, stickers, beads, and some teaching supplies.  I still need to find a roll-up-able (is that a word?) white board surface.I have had days full of fun but days of real sadness too.  I have been in my dream job for almost 11 years now.  Granddaughter number two arrives in February I have just made my new little house feel like a home.  My friends and church family.  In all honesty...very hard to leave.  I have a friend praying specifically that I will find a friend there in Uganda.  (or else I might mother poor Abby to death-ha)  I will not be your typical missionary, Global Training Network, the group I am with believes in the training of indigenous leaders.  They specialize in the training of Pastors and lay leaders.  They have one other ESL teacher in Eastern Europe, and Abby, who is a 20 something Mom to all of the boys in Uganda.  I will be training the older boys to read and write, and to speak English. I will be tutoring the boys, former street kids, because some are way behind in school.  I will be working with prostituted young women and loving them, showing them that are worth being loved, and helping them leave prostitution.  I will assist Abby in bookkeeping.  I will be able to give out LOTS of hugs and kisses and be YOUR hands in the lives of these young people in Africa. I will share with them the love of Christ. I will be counting on you to pray for us and think often of us.  I will stay usually about 4 months and then return to the US for a break and then go back.  I am hoping that I will be taking some young people back with me some of these times.  Am I scared, YES!  What if I say or do the wrong thing, (I know I will until I learn Ugandan Culture)  I will probably see children very, very sick with AIDS or even dieing.  I will put my arms around young women who have been abused, and may feel forgotten.   I will be with boys who have experienced horror living on the streets and are learning to be thoughtful, loving ,young men; future husbands and leaders.  I can not do this alone.  I need your prayers.  Hold my arms up because I know I am weak and the battle is long. 
Gina Jaye 

 

Less than a month to go...

As I prepare to go to Uganda, one of the things I am doing is starting a photo album.  I have been scrap booking off and on for a number of years.  I am not really passionate about it, but I do enjoy it.  This photo album will be small and will be just photos with a small place for a written description.  The album holds 100 photos.  My dilemma is how do you reduce a life of 51 years to less than 100 photos.  Seems easy but it actually is difficult.  I have baby pictures of me and all of my kids, pictures of my wedding and pictures of my friends.  But if pictures were the only way to describe your life what would they look like for you?  I am finding then terribly inadequate and my memory that way as well! ha  When was this photo taken and who is that person?  Wish me luck as I narrow down the boxes of photos to only 100 and make a coherent story.
I am all moved in to my little house in Phoenix.  Please pray that the house in Cave Creek sells quickly.  I am looking forward to the weekend of November 26-28.  I will have all of my kids with me again and that will be my last weekend at Moon Valley.  I have packed most of my things to go and only need to purchase a few items.  One of my goals is to have clothing and shoes that I can readily give away.  So I have been shopping at my usual suspects of thrift stores.  I have found some excellent buys on shoes and outfits.  I also have found lots of games and crafts to bring and I am looking for roller blades to bring to the boys too.

Here is the picture from my prayer card.  I will be sending those out to soon.  Thank you all for your prayers and support. GJ