The journey begins

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Published by Mary Chowenhill on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:18pm

 

Hi, I would like to introduce myself.  I am Mary Chowenhill and I am excited to be a bridger with SAMS.  To begin I should explain that for the last 30 years God has allowed me to teach in the schools in and around Jacksonville Florida. Thirteen years ago He set me on the path of missions by allowing me to become involved in short term missions.

Several times I was part of a short term mission to St Augustine Parish on San Salvador in the Bahamas. 

As my journey began I was also introduced to the Sudanese community here in Jacksonville and became a part of that community.  In 2004 as the treaty was being signed between the North and South of Sudan I was fortunate enough to travel to Uganda and Sudan to visit orphanages set up by the Diocese of Kajo Kagi. 

My desire to become more involved in missions began to grow but my husband was beginning to experience the last stages of cancer so the Lord delayed my move.  After my husband Nelson's death in 2007 I kept thinking I could begin the move but until this past December I did not get a clear direction of what to do. 

In December I registered for a short term mission training at SAMS and went to Ambridge in January of 2012.  My thinking was if God wanted me to go I needed to understand the workings of Short term missions.  What an eye opener the training was. 

At the end I asked Lynn about the Bridger Program and she asked where I wanted to go?  I said my hearts desire was to work in South Sudan but I knew there were no SAMS missionaries there. She mentioned a possibility in Uganda and told me to contact her when I was home. 

So I did and Brian and Mary Jane Dennison kindly volunteered to take me on.  So where do I go from here.  Well first I needed to raise suppport and God provided.  Now I am beginning the process of writing curriculum for a Ugandan VBS. 

  1. I ask for prayers that as I begin this process God will guide my thoughts and writing so the work will benefit those who receive it. 
  2. I can only imagine what will be needed to make this work truly Ugandan so I ask that God will help me to here the advice offered by the Ugandans who will be helping me write. 
  3. I pray that prayer warriors will come forth who will lift this work up so that what is written will Glorify God and please my Lord and Savior Jesus. 

Comments

Mary Chowenhill's picture

Mary Chowenhill - Mon, 11/12/2012 - 10:37pm

I have just had a lesson in writing a blog.  I wrote an update and succeeded in losing it.  The Gist of the Blog was to tell you that God is helping me to learn to trust him for all things.  He has shown me in many ways that the path I am now taking is in His hands and that while the final outcome is not clear he will provide.  Please pray that I will remember to trust God in all circumstances and not try and jump ahead of his purpose for my life.  In three weeks I will retire and in leass than 4 I will be on my way to Africa.  Pray that I can keep Christ always incharge. 

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Mary Chowenhill - Wed, 01/02/2013 - 1:16pm

Today I went to the airport to fly to Juba from Bor only to find that my flight had been cancelled because government officials had taken the plan to use in a downed flight investigation.  As my flight to Uganda is tomorrow I found myself wondering why God was allowing this to happen.  Then I had an opportunity to meet a member of the UNICEF staff I would not have met had I not stayed inBor.  Father God give me the wisdom to trust you for the flights tomorrow.  May the process go smoothly and I be able to make my flight, or if I am to stay show me the reason.  In Jesus name I pray.

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Mary Chowenhill - Tue, 01/08/2013 - 12:49am

Last week I came back to Mukono fully expecting to begin another VBS this week.  The interview with the Bishop that I thought was scheduled for Friday was delayed till Wed the 9th.  Thus I was given 5 days of rest something I sorely needed.  During this week I have met a man who has come to UCU to develop a landscape plan for the University.  It turns out he is also working on plans for Boarding schools in South Sudan.  He gave me information about how to contact organizations which are developing the boarding schools.  So what I saw originally as an interuption of my plan was in fact a guidance to learn information I would not have without God's guidance. May each day provide you with the wisdom to know that your plans are not always set in stone and sometimes God has a better idea.  

 

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Mary Chowenhill - Wed, 01/16/2013 - 1:52pm

 

I have finnally suceeded in uploading my comments from the last month.  Each will have a date indication what day they were originally begun.  More to come as I learn more about how to blog.

 

Mary’s Blog  Dec 8th, 2012

 

I am finally on the move.  Today started with a miracle.  My Sudanese Family and 2 of my prayer warriors from church came at 6:30 AM to help me go to the airport.  I thought I had 10 suitcases and after loading them into the cars we headed to the airport.  The Picture you see here is of me with the bags before we went inside.  You have heard of the loaves and fishes well when the bags were checked there were 11 not 10 bags.  I tried to figure it out and for the life of me I couldn’t.  While the American airlines clerk checked to see if a bag had been double tagged we prayed for the trip and for each other.  After about 15 minutes the clerk called and said there were 11 bags and that she would just waive the fee.  She told me that I would have difficulty getting the bags checked from London to Entebbe.  When I went to tell my friends it hit me that I had 10 bags but a friend had given me clothes to take to Uganda and that was the 11th bag.  God’s provision is always timely.  He has given me an extra measure of grace for this trip.  Things that in the past would have caused me to panic or get upset just seem to give me opportunities to see him at work in everything. 

 

As I went to go through security Emmanuel one of my Sudanese “sons’ asked if I had unlocked my I phone and I began to think how I could solve this problem.  After running around on my own steam I finally came to the conclusion that I did not need to worry.  I sat down at the recharging station and a young man came over who had both an I phone and a mac computer.  I asked him if my phone would act as an I pod and if I could use the e-mail feature in a wified area.  He then told me about a program that will allow my stateside family to call me and will let me text for free.  So all my running around was solved in a matter of minutes.  It doesn’t allow me to call in all circumstances but how rich I feel.  The best part is this happened right after I called AT&T and asked to cancel my 25 year old land line.

 

So what is the point of this story.  God’s provisions are so much better than ours.  Scripture Says “I know the plans I have for you … Lord Jesus help me to see your purpose in all the ordinary circumstances.  The needs we have are great and even more so as I head to Uganda and begin the VBS, but all our needs are supplied and He will direct our path to what he wants us to do. 

 

Heavelny Father you are our Jehovah Jirah and you know exactly what you wish us to do.  Give me the ability to become less so that all who I meet will knowthat you are the author  of my story.  May my witness be made complete in my weakness and your strength.  It is in Jesus name I pray.