The Adventure Continues: The blessed broken tooth

There are already 2 other blog-posts queuing in my mind, but a promise is a promise, and I said I was gonna tell you about how my broken off tooth ended up a huge blessing.

Ready for this?

Grab a cuppa {as we say in NZ, or a coffee}

It's a bit long...

On Monday, I was planning on driving to a rural area outside of Kampala to visit Praise who had just moved there with her {what I thought} 17 orphaned children.

Obviously, I was not driving myself - are you kidding me?

I had the privilege of going together with Sam and Irene, the couple who are leading the "Orphans Know More" network and who have also become the "covering" for Praise and her children.

Before I had left NZ, a friend felt in prayer that I was going to gather and minister to a bunch of "sheep" and that there were 2 sheep who were by themselves at quite a distance.

The Father wanted me to go out of my way to visit and minister to those 2 as well.

While on the way to Praise's, this picture came back to me.

It was a long drive {2-3 hours} through rural areas and was really "way out there".

I was excited and felt right in the center of God's will.

{the other sheep were a group of desperate women I had gone out of my way to minister to last week}.

typical side-of-the-road scene

glad I didn't have to travel THAT way!

Before I had left NZ, I had connected via email with the ministry

International Voice for the Orphans

that was just recently started by a wonderful couple whose journey I have been following for a few years through the wife's blog.

Her husband was going to bring a team to Uganda and he had invited me to have dinner with him and his daughter one evening so that we could connect, as we share the same heart for orphans.

This is where the tooth comes in.

If I'd had all my teeth - {haha} -
the plan was for me to meet up with DW and the team on Wednesday evening in Jinja.

BUT - since I needed to see a dentist {the good ones are in Kampala}, I had to stay overnight in Kampala after my visit with Praise so that I was close for my 9 o'clock appointment the next day.

I would've normally come back to Jinja with Sam and Irene, as already just the gas to visit Praise was over my budget {gas here is same price as in NZ} and they were driving straight back to Jinja
{= free ride back for me, as the gas for the round-trip was already paid}.

But I felt that I should book myself into the same Guest-House that DW and the team were staying in, so that we could connect over dinner on Monday.

My secret hope was that they could then connect with the "Orphans Know More" leadership during their one night stay in Jinja {which did end up happening - Praise God!}.

When I called DW during our drive to Praise's to tell him that I was going to be at their guest-house that evening, somehow I heard myself saying that I was on the way to visit a single 25-year-old Ugandan who's caring for 17 orphans

{DW was a total stranger and I was "just" making arrangements for having dinner with him and his daugther}.

His immediate response was:

"WHAT?"

"What is she doing? Caring for 17 orphans?"

Bring her with you tonight!"

Sooo, that's how Praise ended up going with me to the guest-house.

I was over the moon happy that DW and the team were going to get to hear her story!

Praise going with me was also a blessing for me Sam, since he didn't have to drive through the crazy Kampala traffic at rush hour to take me to the Guest-house, as he still had a long way back home.

So, Praise and I got dropped off at a convenient place and were going to take public transport to the guest house - something I could've never done my myself.

OH MY!

After a ride in the "taxi" {public transport here, see photo},
we got to a busy place, swarming with people, motorcycles and cars everywhere.

What ensued was THE SCARIEST boda-boda (motorcycle) ride EVER!!!

Don't know what I was thinking... but there somehow seemed to be no alternative.
{Rich made me promise later that I will NEVER to this again - happy to oblige!}

Praise had first suggested that we walk, but I had a carry-on and a bag and wasn't sure how far the walk was going to be {it would've been VERY long}.

As I hesitated, she just took initiative and got two bodas for us.

Before I knew it, I was sitting side-ways {skirt wouldn't allow any other way}, holding on to my heavy bag with one hand,
and with the other hand hold on to the back of the seat - literally, for dear life.
{glad that Praise offered to take my carry-on!!!}

The driver was driving like CRAZY, zooming in and out of traffic.

On several occasions, we were literally - no exaggeration - 2cm (1 inch) away from hitting another vehicle.

Several times, I had to pull in my feet
{with flip-flops only - wasn't expecting to be on a motorcycle when I got dressed that morning}
so that I wouldn't hit the sidewalk.

I was ~~crying out to God~~ praying, praying, praying!

My main goal was not to fall off -

I had to move constantly to balance out the movements of the boda in order to stay on.

Thank God for his protection!!

I was a nervous wreck on arrival at the Guest-house,
shaking inside - and even a bit on the outside.

But didn't want to show Praise ~ ~ ~
so I just filled out the paperwork for the guesthouse and off we went to the room.

And starting now is when the BIG BLESSING occured - bear with me
{if you're still reading at all}:

Praise was really tired.
She was just recuperating from malaria - plus the move with all that it had entailed.

As we had 1 1/2 hours before dinner, I invited her to lay on my bed to rest.

{she was going to stay overnight at a friend's house in Kampala}.

The night before I'd left NZ, Jeremie had kindly put all of our worship CDs onto my laptop iTunes.

So, as I was going to take a much needed shower,

{and oh, what a joy to have a REAL shower, complete with hot water - I took my time! Just washing my flip-flops was a mission - with mud caked on the soles!}

Praise was going to rest with worship music playing in the background.

She loved it!

When I came back, I felt to put on some Kim Walker songs for her to listen to.

The sweet presence of God came and filled that room through the songs.

Holy Spirit was ministering to both of us, but especially to Praise.

Particularly through this song:

Long story short {yeah right - short?!}

GOD was able to deeply minister to Praise through the songs and prayers he led me to pray over her right there in that simple guest-house room.

And - if that wasn't enough - when Praise got to tell her story to DW and the team after dinner,

I'm not sure if there was a dry eye in the room...

They also encouraged her greatly and prayed for her so beautifully, gave her some blessings and even paid for her to be able to stay overnight at the guest-house instead of venturing out again at 10pm.

It was sooo special!

And I believe that a DIVINE connection was made that day - that you will yet hear about!

All because of that broken off tooth!

WOW!!!