Jamesdon and Coryn: Operation Uganda

..::Urgent Prayer Request::..

2011-05-25T12:04:00.002+03:00

I want to start by saying that we serve a God of impossibilities! I am going to get right to the point…as a family we need some serious prayer. As many of you know, Jamesdon and I have been trying to work out our immigration paper work so that we can remain in Uganda. Because of new laws that have passed, this has not proven to be an easy task, more like one of the most difficult ones we have dealt with since being here. One of the main issues is that because of the new laws we will have to go home to reapply for our new visas instead of having them issued in Uganda. This may mean that we will need to remain in the US for an extended amount of time for the paperwork to be processed. Today we went to the Embassy to get Daniel’s visa to go home for the summer and they will not allow us to travel home with him unless we can prove that we are coming back which means that we need to have current work permits before we leave Uganda. Also without current work permits, we will not be permitted to stay in Uganda. We are confident that God’s plan is not to separate our family and that one way or another God will make it possible for our family to stay together. I am not sure how or what that is going to look like, but we are trusting that God will pave the way and give us strength through the process. We are just asking that all of our friends and family to join us in prayer! We pray that God will make a way for our family to stay together and that He will give us strength and wisdom and an overwhelming trust in Him. We love you and miss you all and pray that we will see you this summer! Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

If you’d like to unite with us in this undertaking you may send your financial blessings to: Align Ministries, 27562 Sweetbrier Lane, Mission Viejo, CA payable to Align Ministries and include "the Kisslings" in the memo line. You can also give online by going to wwwalignministries.org/donate. Just select Missionary Support and write Kisslings in the memo section.

...:::Rants From a Crazy Prego Woman:::...

2011-03-09T17:05:00.002+03:00

I said I was going to do this…so here goes another one!

In my last post I said that “God has been working, not always in the way I want or in a way that I understand, but everything has drawn us closer to Him”…and within a week after that I started to question everything. So like me to have so little faith!

A quick (well not so quick) background…

When we initially came to Uganda, we came under the umbrella of Africa Renewal Ministries (ARM) and worked with them for one year, which was our commitment. When that year was up, Jamesdon began working with a very small and new organization called Remnant Uganda. This was a bit scary! We not only had to take care of ourselves, but now Daniel and we had to make a decision of whether or not to move to Gulu for Jamesdon to work voluntarily for Remnant full time or stay in Kampala. Because we were only staying for one year initially we had only raised support for that year and knew that we would have to go home and raise some serious support in order to stay here and work in Gulu. In the meantime I had been praying about what I could do here and since we had Daniel, I felt like he was our first ministry, so I started to look for jobs that could help provide for us financially. After many promising leads and a couple of great interviews, all doors seemed to be closing! This led me to believe that I was looking for something that God did not want for us! So we began to plan for Jamesdon to go to the states to visit family and friends and raise support for us for the upcoming year. Right before Jamesdon left I got a job offer at an international school in Kampala and felt like this was the way that God was going to help provide for us financially, so I accepted. Because Jamesdon really felt led to work with Remnant, he committed to work with them in Gulu and that meant we would be spending A LOT of time apart…this has proven much harder than I would have imagined! We knew that the job I accepted would not provide for us completely but would contribute substantially to our financial situation, so that still meant a little bit of support raising. Oh and did I mention that we decided to let my 13 year old niece come to live with us for a year and go to school where I would be working!

In the meantime...

In October of last year, Uganda immigration laws changed so that expatriates are no longer allowed to apply for new work permits while in Uganda, but only from the country in which they come from. Since Jamesdon and I are up for renewal of our work permits and are both working for new organizations, this seemed like it could be a problem. Initially, we were trying to work it out so that I could bypass this new law because I was already in country, which looked promising! One of our biggest concerns was having our niece come back to Uganda after Christmas break and then us having to leave to go back to the US to reapply (which can take anywhere from 3-6 months, depending). Because things seemed to be going in the right direction, we decided to have our niece return. God blessed us with an amazing Christmas, despite being away from home, and soon after blessed us with a much needed car. The day my niece left the US to return to Uganda, I was informed that I would be unable to get a visa through my current employer and because of that would lose my job when my work permit expired. This did not seem so bad at the time, other than financial concerns, because we had found a way to get a work permit for Jamesdon and I could apply for a dependency pass under him. This is when we began making plans to move to Gulu and it all seemed very clear. God was providing for us in so many ways and seemed to be showing us a clear path of where to go next.

Where we are now…

This past week we found out that Jamesdon is not going to be able to get a visa, at least not the way we had planned. As of right now we do not have a clear solution as to what to do about this. If it were just me and Jamesdon, the solution would be easy…go home right away, apply for new work permits, have the baby at home, and then return when everything is settled. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We have a niece who is in the middle of a school year with an entirely different curriculum from home, and Daniel, who we do not have full adoption of yet and getting his paperwork to leave the country for an extended period of time will take a while to process. Also, I currently have insurance through my current employer that will cover all of our medical costs for the pregnancy and delivery here in Uganda

Although I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster (pregnancy does not help), I know in my heart that God is in control and that His ways are so much bigger than ours. So I have been praying and asking everyone we know to join us in prayer. I pray that God will show us the path to take next and that we continue to look to Him for wisdom, guidance, and strength. God has surrounded us and blessed us with some amazing people here in Uganda, who have been encouraging us and praying along side us! He knows what we need and when we need it! Also I have been praying that God will continue to provide for us financially, so that we can remain here at least until the summer, but longer if that is what He has planned for us.

With me losing my job and Jamesdon’s position being purely voluntary, our primary source of financial provisions will be gone at the end of April. While we are starting to make adjustments now to account for this loss, we realize that we have to look to God to fill this large deficit, especially with a baby on the way. God has slowly been revealing to me that my pride has prevented me from talking about financial concerns to just about everyone and that I need to be honest with myself and others. God has a way of humbling us even when we don’t realize we need to be humbled.

With all of that said, we are really looking forward to coming home this summer to see all of our friends and family. We are excited for everyone to finally meet the newest 2 additions to our family and are confident that God wants us back here in Uganda to show those around us a little glimpse of Him!

We're truly thankful for your continued prayer and support.

Please check out the Remnant Uganda website to learn more about what Jamesdon is doing here at remnantuganda.com

Align Ministries has also been an amazing blessing to us since coming to Uganda. You can learn more about their ministries here in Uganda at alignministries.org

If you’d like to unite with us in this undertaking you may send your financial blessings to: Align Ministries, 27562 Sweetbrier Lane, Mission Viejo, CA payable to Align Ministries and include "the Kisslings" in the memo line. You can also give online by going to www.alignministries.org/donate. Just select Missionary Support and write Kisslings in the memo section.

The better half...

2011-02-23T19:13:00.001+03:00

Okay, so I know that this is WAY overdue, but here goes!

We have been in Uganda about 20 months and this is the first time that I am actually posting something on our blog (usually it is Jamesdon)! All I know is that God has been working, not always the way I want or in a way that I understand, but everything that we have gone through has drawn us closer to Him!

When we first arrived here in July 2009, we were ready to serve Him fully for a year, and I know that I still had every intention of returning home to the US after that year was finished. Had I known that God had an entirely different plan for us, I might have just stayed home. With that being said I am so glad that I didn’t know what He had planned because I would have missed out on God’s biggest blessings yet!

Many times since being here there have been times that I wanted to write and boast about things that God has been doing and the ways that He has used us. Other times I have wanted to write and complain about how difficult things are and how I feel like I am so far from God and what He wants for us! I finally feel like I can share what we are doing here without doing either of those.

When I first came I started journaling (that didn’t last long!) and early this week I went back and read through what I wrote, which mostly pertained to how much I cried and felt completely lost and asked why I was here and what I had gotten myself into! It is amazing the things that were shocking to me, which have now just become normal and would never think twice about. I wrote about my first boda boda (motorcycle) ride and was so proud of us for going into town by ourselves, a town that I have now taken hundreds of boda rides in and can navigate with out many issues, after all I am talking about Kampala! I wrote about how sad I was to leave Bombo and Wobulenzi and our family there, and now I feel sad that I have not been better about keeping in touch with those who gave me so much comfort when we first came! I wrote about our introduction to ARM and how I thought it was going to be impossible for me to ever know everyone’s name and understand what they were saying, the same people that I now call friends and can understand perfectly fine…I even find myself changing the way I speak when I am around them. I wrote about how sacred I was to teach classes of 60 plus students that all spoke a common language that I did not speak. Tthese are the same kids that I have developed great relationships with and miss teaching so much (it helped that I learned some Luganda too!). I also wrote about working at LHBH and how I first met Daniel…if only I would have known then that I had just met my son and possibly the whole reason why we came to serve here. How different that entry would have been had I known.

When I first found out that, not only would I not be coming home, but that I couldn’t come home, first during summer 2010 and then again for Christmas 2010, I felt trapped! I wanted so bad to go home and was so angry at God for not making it possible, but after I finished throwing my temper tantrum, and looked at God I realized that there was a perfectly good reason for it! Had I gone home at either of those times, it is very possible that I would have done everything in my power to stay there and would have resented having to come back here. I finally allowed myself to trust God and be at peace with the fact that this is our home for awhile and I am content with that, it only took me a year and a half! Don’t get me wrong, this past year and a half has been amazing, lots of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change anything about it!

Here we are in February 2011 and it is amazing to think about how much has happened in the past year and a half. In two weeks we will have been Daniel’s mommy and daddy for 1 year (CRAZY) and we have our next little guy (Nehemiah) on the way (due May 10th). We left the US just me and Jamesdon and will come back two years later a family of four, just for a visit though!! (Just pray that everything works out this time!).

God has some huge changes in store for us this year. Not only is our family getting bigger, but God is moving us to Gulu, in northern Uganda, where Jamesdon has been working with Remnant for the past 9 months. I have had the blessing to finally watch my husband do something that he absolutely loves with a group of women that God has given him a huge heart and passion for, but it has come at the cost of our family being apart way too much, hence the move. Remnant is growing and the need for Jamesdon to be in Gulu full time is becoming greater, so God has opened up doors for us to move as a family so that we can all be together. Jamesdon has already established a good base in Gulu and this week we had the chance to go there and move into the new Remnant compound, which will soon be home for our family!

God has also blessed us through our relationship with Align Ministries, and used them to bless us with a car (the more pregnant I become, the more necessary that is). Align has also now become the ministry that we can call our “sending organization” in which we can receive financial blessings from all of our supporters.

As for me, I’ll go on “maternity leave” in April and plan on staying home with my boys and helping out where I can until I find a school in Gulu where I can get back to doing what I love…teaching! Because the school year here starts in February, I will have a little while to figure out exactly where God wants me to be and will have the opportunity to be at home full time as a mom, which I never pictured myself doing!

There is so much more that I could and want to write, but I will start with baby steps…this is the first one!

If you’d like to unite with us in this undertaking you may send your financial blessings to: Align Ministries, 27562 Sweetbrier Lane, Mission Viejo, CA payable to Align Ministries and include "the Kisslings" in the memo line. You can also give online by going to www.alignministries.org/donate. Just select Missionary Support and write Kisslings in the memo section.

Christmas #2 in Uganda

2011-01-02T11:37:00.002+03:00

If you’d like to unite with us in this undertaking you may send donations to 3012 Herrington Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92405 payable to Africa Renewal Ministries and include "the Kisslings" in the memo line.

...:::!!!I swear, we're gonna do this!!!:::...

2010-11-02T13:41:00.000+03:00

..::Coming Home! ...well at least 1/3 of us::..

2010-07-10T15:52:00.002+03:00

So it's July and Coryn and I are coming to our "1 Year in Uganda" anniversary. Sad thing is, I wont make that mark. We arrived here on July 17th, 2009 and I'll be leaving Uganda for my 1st time since on July 12th. Just going to miss it!

I'm headed home to share with all of our friends and family, the amazing things God has been doing in our lives over the past year and where we've landed because of it. I'm hoping to get the opportunity to share with as many of my friends and their friends as possible in my month in the states and know it's going to be super chaotic!!!

Why do I keep saying I? Because, Unfortunately, we were unable to get Daniel's paperwork done in time for him to come home so we drew straws to see which one of us had to leave the family behind to go home and raise funds to sustain the work we do. So yes, I got the go home straw, and Coryn got the stay in Uganda w/Daniel straw.

I'm starting in Dallas, TX to meet up with a ton of great people that have an amazing heart for Uganda. Then, After a week, I'll head to good ol' sunny southern California and hope to continue the crazy schedule of meet ups.

So, with all that said, we're writing this particular blog to ask any of you who've followed our family and the work we're doing in Uganda, even if just casually, to consider having a small meet and greet with me to catch up on where we've been, and where we're going.

These meeting can be at super casual coffee chats, lunch time hangouts, bible studies, or anywhere you can dream up. Get as creative as you can!

Below is a bit of info to get you a little more up to date on the work we're doing. I'll be in TX July 13th - 22nd and CA July 23rd - Aug 16th.
If you'd like to meet up while I'm home, send me an email at Jamesdon@RemnantUganda.com with a few dates you're available.

Thanks a ton and please remember to keep us in your prayers!!!

..::Parenthood::..

2010-03-30T13:55:00.003+03:00

Man oh man oh man!

What an amazing journey! I've been trying to find the words to put on this blog but in my feeble attempts I've realized that they just don't exist to show the pure joy that Coryn and I share.

It's been three weeks now that we've had Daniel in our home. He's nothing but a pure blessing! He's starting to learn a slew of words and behaves like a little gentleman. It hasn't all been smooth sailing but we've loved every second

When we first brought Daniel home, There was definitely a period of adjustment. Everything was new and the only constant he had was Coryn, who had been at the baby home for the past 6 months. Although I had been around Daniel a lot in the weeks leading up to our court case, his adjustment to me was much harder than to Coryn. I'd say that it was hard on him but it would be much more accurate to say that it was hard on me. I wanted so bad for this little guy to look at me in the same way he looks at his mom. To run to me when I get home and cry for me when I have to leave. It was definitely tough on me but, praise God, it didn't take too long. Within a week Daniel started to trust in who I was and even started crying when I left. I know no parent likes to see their baby boy cry but those tears were the greatest things ever!

Coryn and I are also adjusting pretty well and learning new things everyday. I definitely think we've got it easier than most parents since Daniel already sleeps through the night. But twe're still going through the whole learning curve of figuring out what it means to be biblical parents and spouses at the same time! We're learning that, now more than ever, we have to constantly communicate everything; what we're doing, methods we're using to teach Daniel, and why we're doing it that way. Not to mention the regular day to day marital stuff! I can honestly say that, since it's only us here, we're learning to lean on each other more and more everyday.

The last new bit of info to share with you is that we had our verbal interview for the babies home. They had some difficult questions for us the really made us think but all in all I think it went pretty well. We're really hoping that this is where God has us! We really feel this ministry has changed our lives and can serve to change the lives of so many children and parents.
With all that being said, I'd like to leave you with a few recent pictures of our incredible baby boy in the hopes that you'll print one out to remind you keep us in your thoughts and prayers! When doing that, please pray for our future ministry and the spiritual and financial well being of our home! We'd also love to hear any words of encouragement that you might have for us as being so far from friends and family is always hard. Thank you all and God bless!

From Monkey

...:::chapter 2wo:::...

2010-02-13T12:02:00.004+03:00

As many of you reading this well know, 2009 was a very unique year for us. It hosted a slue of firsts in our lives but has ultimately brought us closer together and, more importantly, closer to God. We packed up our things and left everyone but each other behind and headed off to the world of Uganda. A world, that up until then, we had only imagined through movies, books, and the World Wide Web.

Arrival here was almost whimsical! The new faces, sounds, smells, and traditions brought us spinning out of our comfortable Californian lives and into a renewed sense of being. Then, of course, that fanciful mind set started to fade with our own adaptation. Before we knew it, we found ourselves picking up new Lugandan phrases everyday and braving the frenzied city on our own two wheels (I love my bike!). We set into our routines and life here has become just that; Life!

To say we love it here would be a gross understatement. All the things, which at first, were strange and out of the ordinary, have now become a thread in the fabric that makes up who we are. We’ve completely fallen head over heals for the people here and the stories of who they are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going, each one with so much hope for their future. Our time here has also given us the ability to better evaluate the need here and determine exactly where we fit into it. That very evaluation has led us to an understanding that the place we belong, the place God is heavily calling us to, is not one we could simply walk away from in August as planned. That being said, we’ve made the decision to, once again, listen to the unmistakable voice of God’s direction in our lives.

So what exactly does that look like? Glad you asked!

First off, as many are well aware, we’ve been asking for your partnership in prayer for a really special little guy here; Daniel.
Daniel came into our lives about 6 months ago through the baby home that we’ve been volunteering with as part of our work here. Abandoned by his parents, and left on the steps of a hospital, Daniel was the first one to arrive at the home, and came dangerously malnourished and under developed. Not only was he severely emaciated, but he also arrived with congenital Cataracts leading to two very weak, underdeveloped, but beautiful eyes! I really think those two wandering, googly-eyes, were what initially drew us to him. Over the last 6 months, we’ve had the joy of being a part of his growth, seeing him learn to sit up, crawl, grunt, walk, and talk (kinda?!?!).

It’s been the greatest blessing and revealed something huge to us! We Love this guy! I mean, we really LOVE him! We love him and we couldn’t stand the thought of leaving such a joyous part of our life behind!

Now at first, this feeling was much more in Coryn’s heart than mine. I mean come on, she’s a woman with an amazing heart. Of course it was! But for me, I just wasn’t ready to come to terms with what being this guy’s dad would look like. I prayed constantly that God would just provide Daniel with a good family that would be the blessing to him that he has been to us! That way, we could go back home to our comfortable life, guilt free. Pretty selfish huh?

Well, God answered that prayer, but not exactly how I’d hoped. At the end of the year, while we were in Gulu serving alongside our home church, ROCKharbor, I heard an unmistakable calling. We were all gathered for the morning’s devotion, which was on the topic of allowing God to speak in our lives. I had been praying with an inspiring woman, Frankie, Frank the Tank, Galaway, and suddenly had an overwhelming phrase go through my head. ADOPT DANIEL. I immediately dismissed it as my own convoluted thought but then it just got louder! ADOPT DANIEL! I continued dismissing the “thoughts” as my own but they were so dang consistent! Finally I found myself weeping uncontrollably, unable to utter a single comprehendible word! I realized at that point that truth had fallen on me. God answered the prayer I prayed so many times before, “Give Daniel a good home”.

That was it! The second I recognized that voice my heart open up wide to the new life staring us in the face. We came home from that trip and haven’t looked back since. After expressing our desires to the church and getting their blessing, we started the process. We’ve applied for foster care and had our home study done in the last week and are now awaiting our court appearance. After that, we’ll await the approval of our appeal for legal guardianship.

Sounds great right? Well it is, but it does come with a few strings attached. To adopt the right and legal way, one has to foster the prospective child in country for 3 years! Yup, 3 more years in Uganda! But even this has been a blessing.

Knowing that we’ll be around longer has encouraged us to step up our ministry efforts here. We’re currently applying to be the managers of the very baby home that cared for Daniel, and so many just like him! We feel a special connection to it and the vision we share with them; to provide the orphaned and abandoned children of Uganda with loving, Christian families. I can’t express enough the excitement we both have for the prospective future! If accepted, Coryn and I will serve side by side in ministry, just as we’ve always hoped.

So, with this new chapter in our lives, we’d like to ask you for two things…

First and foremost, Prayer! Pray for God’s continued covering in the adoption process. Pray for Daniel’s continued health and astonishing development. Pray for us as new, completely clueless, parents! Pray that we continue to put God at the center of our marriage through all this newness! Pray that God maintains His unexplainable provision for our new family as we continue to follow His path. And lastly, pray that we relentlessly open up our hearts and ears to the voice of God!

Secondly, and probably the hardest for us to verbalize is that of provision. Our family survives completely on our personal savings, which was only budgeted for one year, as well as the support of friends and family like you. We ask that each of you take a moment to evaluate both yours and our current situation. If you feel the work we’re doing here is of God and are able to commit to even the slightest amount to enable us to continue in it, please do so. Either way, we do really urge you to keep us in prayer constantly!

…and stay posted for the announcement of our hug n’ love trip home with Daniel in the coming months!!!

Thank you all for your continued love, prayer, and support!

~The Kisslings

Thank you Savior!

2009-12-25T18:49:00.000+03:00

We just wanted to sincerely wish all our friends and family a very very merry Christmas. We especially want to thank God our father for the huge sacrifice he knowingly put into action on this day!

Tell someone you love them today and everyday after!

Don't let Christmas go back into hibernation at midnight!!!

...:::last two weeks = AWESOME:::...

2009-11-19T00:25:00.003+03:00

A few months ago I was approached by Jeff Atherstone, the principal at Gaba Bible Institute (GBI), to join him and an American film crew in the creation of a handful of promo videos for ARM. I didn't really think much of it at the time, but have got to say that I feel so blessed to have gotten the chance to work on such a noteworthy project.

The First week had us all over Kampala shooting various projects and getting stories by the people affected by them and those affecting change. The stories have been so incredible and a true testament to what God's doing over here!
This week has taken the four of us, Jeff Atherstone, Jacob Lewis, Jeff Henson, and myself, to the North of the country. First Soroti, and then Lira. We've been documenting the struggles that Ugandan pastors face on a daily basis, and I gotta say it's really opened my eyes! It seems I've come so accustom to noticing the young and the sick, that I've never really thought about the welfare of the shepherds. It's really crazy to realize that almost every pastor here has had no training what so ever, and since their not really looked at as a big investment by their village, no one is willing to send them to bible school. Seems a bit strange but here's how it traditionally works;
A community will come together to fund a village member who shows a good amount of potential in the hope that that vary member will then return home and get a good paying job. That person is then expected to turn around and fund others in the community to enable them to achieve the same thing. The problem with this system is that most Ugandan's know that a full time pastor will most likely end up a poor man, making it less enticing to want to send them to school. It's a scary thing to think about since these figure heads are the ones looked to in times of crisis but will be the first to tell you how ill-equipped they are.
That's why this week has been so great! Not only have I been able to work with an amazing group of guys on a fantastic team, but I've also grown in an understanding of what the church here really needs. Equipped Leaders!
I now want to ask you for two things...
First and foremost, PRAY!
Pray for the conditon of the church nt only here in Uganda, but at home and all over the world. Pray that God brings healing and colaberation to the many communities that are the church.
Secondly, I would ask that anyone who reads this will take a look at what GBI is doing and really consider how easy it could be for you to take part in the transformation!

...:::been a while:::...

2009-11-10T13:02:00.004+03:00

Hello everyone out there! I know it's been quite some time since we've given out much info to you fine people! The more we get settled, the more things seem to get busy around here!

Coryn has been carrying out her normal duties at Maranatha High School, but has also picked up a Chemistry class at Heritage International School, a local "missionary kid" school. They must really think she's something special because they've already offered her a full time science position. We've been praying about it a lot and don't feel led to accept it but I know it's a nice feeling for her to be in such demand. On top of all her classes, she's also tutoring a kid here to earn a few extra dollars so that we can pay a few of really bad off locals for small tasks around the house. It's been great since we came here with a "No Handout" mentality.

Last week, we also got a short term roommate. Her name's Emily from Tennessee and so far seems like a pretty easy going girl. She also seems to like having a few mzungus around to pass the time. It's been fun for us too! Lots of board games and fellowship with her and the neighbors.

As for me, I feel like I've been getting to see a lot of the country. Last month we bought a dual sport motorcycle. It's pretty sick and Coryn even trusts me enough to hop on the back. It's made us a lot more mobile and really opened up some great opportunities for me to interact with the projects ARM has outside the city.

Last month, I traveled to Rukunjiri to photograph and film the kids from the Mwangaza choir. The Kids are amazing and really served a great reminder to why I'm here! I'm working on putting together the pics and vids for a promo to highlight the choir and their upcoming 6 month tour in the US.

I also got to travel to Lazira last week to photograph over 200 new children for the sponsorship program. It's really amazing how looking through a lens into each one of those kid's eyes can really pull on your heart strings. Just really surprised me since I had been with them all morning but it wasn't till I took each one's portrait that I could see the hope in each one's face! Also gotta add that I need to get a bit more exercise since I'm on day three from being sore from taking pictures! TAKING PICTURES?!?!

The next two weeks for me should be pretty awesome! I get to assist on an extremely talented video crew form So Cal! I'm so excited! The gear they're bringing is sweet, The talent, even better, and I get to travel to yet a new location, Soroti and Lira! The talent I was referring to is Jacob Lewis. He's a truly gifted filmmaker with an even more amazing heart for God, and I'm so stoked to get the opportunity to work with and learn from him!Check out this piece form him. It's pretty touching!

I guess that's pretty much it for now. Oh yeah, we're still illegal aliens here but really hope that will be cleared up soon without too much cost so we ask that you join us in praying for that one big time! Also, we just found out today that Coryn's mom was in a pretty bad accident on the 5th. She's okay now but did have to stay in the hospital for four days due to multiple fractures. Since the doctor's said she's be fine, they didn't tell us the news right away, out of fear that we'd jump on the first plane home (and probably rightfully so!). Anyhoot, we also ask that you join us in praying for a speedy recovery for her and to make the insurance process (car's totaled) as painless as possible. Thanks for the support!

Till next time...

...:::Monkey Business:::...

2009-09-21T13:01:00.004+03:00

So I just feltlike sharing a few shots from our little weekend getaway to the source of the Nile in jinja...

As you might be able to tell, We had an amazing time experiencing Jinja with our home group!!! We camped on the banks of the Nile and got fried on our day hike with our new muzungu friends Evin and Amy Turly. On our hike, we just stumbled across these awesome monkeys, and wouldn't you know it, we had some banannas in our pack. Awesome! It was a completely differrent world than either of us had ever experienced and we both really enjoyed the time away.

Till next time...

..::?Medi-Sin?::..

2009-09-01T14:23:00.007+03:00

..."Teacher," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?" "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him. John 9:2-3
This week has been amazing to say the least. We packed up early Sunday morning and jumped in a taxi with our pal Morris en route to Bombo! We found ourselves filled with anticipation of what the week's medical mission would hold. We joined a team of doctors and staff sent through Peninsula church to Bombo Pentecostal Church. When we got to the church, things looked like business as usual. The church was still a church and service went on just like the previous times we visited. It wasn't till church ended that we realized what we had gotten into. In just a few hours, BPC was changed from an unassuming Ugandan church, into a full blown medical clinic complimented by it's own full service pharmacy. We arrived Monday at around 6:30 and were shocked to be greeted by about 200 people waiting to receive free medical care. The mission was off and running and before we knew it we had reached the end of our first day and saw over 500 patients. The week went on in pretty much the same way only differing by the increase in people waiting for us each morning! The turn out was amazing and trumped only by the stories behind each case. The boy in the picture above was one of the most alarming. He had been quietly waiting for his turn to see a doctor all day and was finally told that he'd have to come back early in the morning due to the number of patients in front of him. As he limped away, Coryn was shocked by the look of pain on his face. She asked what was wrong and the little guy just pointed at his hip. Upon further inquisition, we learned that he had undergone a hip surgery a few years back that had gone horribly wrong! The surgeon had fused the boy's growth plate to his hip eliminating any future growth of his leg. As if that wasn't bad enough, his body had now rejected one of the surgical screws which was now shooting out of his skin about 3 inches . We couldn't believe it! We almost sent the poor guy home and he didn't even try to plead his case to us! The doctors saw him immediately and had the screw out and the wound disinfected in no time. The saddest part of the whole thing was realizing that it was a 10 minute procedure that could have been done 2 years earlier when the problem started but, since access to proper health care is scarce, the family had no other option. I was just told today that the boy is screw, and for the most part, pain, free.
I could go on all day about cases similar to this but I'll save you the time. Besides the general medical problems, the team also performed a number of hernia and cosmetic surgeries. I can honestly say, after spending a day filming in the surgery room, that I've now seen things I'd never seen before. I was amazed, not only by the skills of our own doctors, but also the ingenuity of the local surgeons to do so much with so little. It was also interesting to have the sounds of roosters and goats filling the air during surgery!!!
By the end of the week, we saw over 2000 patients and at least 400 people came to Christ! We really felt God working on the grounds of Bombo and our hearts! Coryn and I really hope to be part of the team next year before we go!

Till next time...

..::babies babies babies::..

2009-08-18T08:13:00.000+03:00

This week has started off great! We really enjoyed church on Sunday and got all of our cleaning and shopping done Saturday before the rain. The school that Coryn teaches at just got out on holiday so she started helping out at ARM's new baby home. I think she's really loving it over there and is getting pretty attached to the babies there.This little guy is Daniel. He's about 7 months old and was abandoned at birth. He's got cataracts really bad so the poor guy can hardly see. When he first arrived, he was really malnourished and the doctors didn't give him much of a chance. It's been really great for both of us to see him progress to a fairly healthy baby right before our eyes! We are a little worried because the doctors think his cataracts might be a symptom of a more serious heart condition and are taking him for further testing this week. We hope you'll join us in praying for this little life and the testimony he may one day become!
Til next time...

...::: getting used to things :::...

2009-08-11T15:27:00.001+03:00

I was looking at the calendar today and was pretty surprised to see that by the end of the week, Coryn and I will have been away from home for exactly one month! Seems crazy to think it's been that long already. Things here are really starting to settle into place. We're in our apartment now and are, for the most part, taking care of ourselves. I do most of the cooking, which raises some brows from the locals but I just tell them I'm muzungu and they dismiss it as crazy western culture. I figure cooking is the least I can do after watching Coryn work all weekend washing our clothes.

From Uganda

I suppose we can't let them build up like we did in the states. We're learning pretty quickly that even though Uganda seems to move at a slower pace, it's not a place you can just put things off for another day. Everything we do seems to take some kind of planning down to the remembering start the hot water 15 minutes before we shower. It's definitely a different way of living for us. Good news is we finally have our internet working and can interact with all you beautiful people a little easier! (and cheaper!!!)

Our friend Hope came and stayed the night with us on Friday and was amused, to say the least, at the way we cook our food and generally run our house. She helped us out a lot by taking us to the market and showing us how to negotiate for food. I think the best part was at the butcher! Coryn almost lost it when the butcher hung a fresh that was still twitching only a few inches from her face. I made Hope scrambled eggs in the morning but she wasn't too fond of them because they were "too soft". I figured out later that they don't put milk in their eggs.

On another note, We're glad to hear that our Friends Don and Elaine, who we were with for our first two weeks, have returned safely from their trip through the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

From Uganda

Pastor Alex and his wife Millie, who they partner with in Bombo, and two other Americans, Jackie and Mark.
We're sad to have to see them go at the end of the week but excited to see how they'll further their ministry state side.

Coryn and I are getting pretty excited for a medical mission we'll be assisting with at Alex's church in Bombo towards the end of the month. We're not quite sure what our roles will be yet but We've heard that the word is getting out and the need should be huge!!

All in all, I think we're getting used to things pretty well around here and are able to concentrate a little more on serving and a little less on cultural differences. Till next time...

...:::a few more for the eyes:::...

2009-08-06T13:14:00.001+03:00

Hi friends!

Just wanted to get a few more images up from our adventures here. There's tons more to come so stay posted!

View all

Get your own

I also have to say, We're loving it here in Uganda and are always so excited to see what tommorow will hold for us. God's working in and through us in amazing ways and it's giving us a realization of just how blessed we really are. We're adjusting really well to Kampala life and learning all sorts of Luganda. It's great to see the look on the taxi drivers face when we say masau!!!

Thanks as always for the prayers and support

Better Late Than Never...

2009-07-31T13:34:00.001+03:00

We’re here! Just getting here seemed like such an amazing adventure already, I can’t even begin to fathom the experiences God has waiting for us. We took off from LAX on Wednesday evening, saying one last tear filled goodbye to our family. I never would have imagined it would be as hard as it was! Coryn and I then grasped each others hand tightly as we walked through the terminal into the huge question mark ahead.

We boarded the plane without a hitch and settled into the seats we’d call home for the next 16 hours. The flight to Dubai wasn’t too bad minus the tedium. I must have watched at least 6 movies between numerous un-restful catnaps. Sleep was hard to find since our route took us far north where the sunlight was constant but did, at one point, allow me an amazing peak at a sea of icebergs.

We touched down in the UAE at about 8pm local time and I swear the pilot had the hands of a surgeon. I’ve never felt a landing that smooth! Speaking of smooth, I think I should have shaved my patchy excuses for a beard before landing as it may have played a part in my repetitive “Random Screening Selection”. I was pulled aside two different times and made to completely empty all the contents of both my strategically packed carry-on bags along followed up with a slew of interrogation. Once we finally got out of the airport, we were hit with a heat straight from the belly of a dragon with heartburn! It was awful!!! I’m pretty sure that and the lack of sleep were the deciding factor that kept us in our hotel all night.

Boarding the next morning was a breeze and we were off by 9am. We touched down, not so surgically, in Ethiopia 3 hours later and were completely amazed at the view of the countryside as we made our approach. Everything was so lush and green with rivers winding through every nook. We only had a quick touch and go and were back in the air within the hour.

We finally got to Uganda 2 hours later and met our amazing guide Joshua. We proceeded into Kampala which completely took us by surprise. There’s so much congestion and the population is huge! The driving is nerve-racking to say the least and completely trumps the scariest traffic in Mexico. We got to our guesthouse in the evening and enjoyed a home cooked meal and crashed.

So far, the people here are some of the most inviting and genuine people I’ve ever met. Both Coryn and I are so excited to see what God has in store for us in the next year and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to share it!

..::a world so small::..

2009-06-08T04:17:00.001+03:00

Man!

These last few days have been crazy! So many things are falling into place and their provision can only be accounted for in one way! God. Last week is a blur of work, finals, and meetings in coffee shops but none the less, I feel more and more confident that Coryn and I are making tremendous progress towards our departure. We've met with some really great people that have given us so much hope and anticipation for our trip!

Last week we had the pleasure of meeting up with Alex and Millie Ojera. Their an amazing couple from Bombo, Uganda who have started a few churches, including Bombo Pent a costal Church, that focus on the empowerment of it's people for the bettering of the community. They've extended us a warm invitation to stay with them during our travels between Gaba and Gulu. Most exciting is the fact that we'll also be partnering with them and Align Mn istires for the first week or so in Uganda. They gave us so much useful information and really made us feel secure about our initial transition into Ugandan life!

Our next set of sit downs was with a few people at our church heavily involved with RockHarbor's Uganda reach ministry. It was such a great feeling to feel the blessing of our home church and has led to some amazing new partnerships.

One of those partnerships was born this morning in a spur of the moment meeting with Sean Galaway from Krochet Kids International. Sean hails from our home church here in Orange County and has led many teams through Africa Renewal Ministry. He's moving to Ugnada for a year and will be in the nothern city of Gulu.

I was really excited after meeting Sean! I think mostly because he's a guy my age with a ton of ambition and compassion. There's a very calming feeling Coryn and I have gotten from knowing that half a world away, we'll be surrounded with people that are welcoming and like minded. It's been an absolute blessing!

..::Dry Mouth::..

2009-05-22T22:55:00.001+03:00

I think it will take a week for the adhesive taste to leave my tongue!

I got up this morning and addressed the first batch of 100 letters. That part was easy thanks to my handy dandy printer! I then subjected my tongue to the dragging of 100 letters across it's surface. They should really flavor those things! Maybe mint or vanilla. Or Vanilla Mint! Anyway, I then went to three different mail centers trying to find one that did bulk mail. Not even my final stop, the good ol' U.S.P.S., did bulk! Guess I got spoiled at my last job? Next, I proceeded to annoy the clerk by affixing stamps to the 100 envelopes on the counter. She insisted! I just think she thought I'd be faster but I quickly proved her wrong. Now all we have to do is hope our passports arrive early enough to get our visas, Get our visas, Get Yellow Fever and Typhoid Vaccinations on Wednesday, Find someone to rent the apartment, Sell all our junk, Put the rest in storage, Pray they let us in the country without buying a return ticket, Arrive safely, Find a new appartment we can afford, and Adjust to Uganda!

We still have seven weeks, What am I worried about?...

..::So we're really doing this!!!::..

2009-05-16T00:45:00.001+03:00

After two months of looking on every airfare search engine, I finally hit the "purchase tickets" button today! Two one way tickets to Uganda!!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Emirates 216 Economy | Boeing 777 (777) | 15hr 55min | 8327 miles

Depart: 4:45pm Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles International (LAX)

Arrive: 7:40pm Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai (DXB)

Change planes. Time between flights: 12hr 45min

Emirates 723 Economy | Boeing 777-200 (772) | 4hr 5min | 1564 miles

Depart: 8:25am Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai (DXB)

Arrive: 11:30am Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Addis Ababa Bole (ADD)

No plane change. Time between flights: 1hr 15min

Emirates 723 Economy | Boeing 777-200 (772) | 2hr 0min | 757 miles

Depart: 12:45pm Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Addis Ababa Bole (ADD)

Arrive: 2:45pm Entebbe, Uganda Entebbe (EBB)

This flight arrives two days later.

Total duration: 36hr 0min | Total miles: 10648 miles

...Now I just hope they let us on the plane with a one-way ticket!!!

PRAY FOR THIS LIKE CRAZY!!!

..::the letters are comming::..

2009-05-08T19:42:00.001+03:00

If you haven't seen it, see it!

If that's what brought you here, Thanks for watching!

To receive a letter or to support our mission, please send and email to jamesdonkissling@gmail.com containing your home address and phone number!a

Thanks for watching!!!

...in His service,

Jamesdon & Coryn

..::Uganda 2009::..

2009-05-08T18:50:00.002+03:00

…the realization

Jamesdon, summer of 2005…

Coryn and I were on a short term mission in Victoria, Canada. Only dating at the time, we made a commitment to give each other space to allow God to do his work through us without the distraction of young love. After spending a few weeks immersed in a new and foreign way of living, I started to feel God tugging on my heart strings, giving me a picture of a life, perpetually lived in this sacrificial lifestyle. It looked magnificent! But little did I know the woman that would one day be my bride was having her own parallel experience.

Coryn, summer of 2005…

Before our trip to Canada I never truly knew what it meant to “hear God’s voice”, but after being in Canada for a week I knew that God was definitely speaking to me. After an amazing session of prayer and worship, I went to my pastor’s wife, Deanna, and told her that I felt God was calling me to missions in Africa. The first thing she asked me was “have you talked to Jamesdon about this?”, which I thought was an odd response. Little did I know, Jamesdon had come to Deanna earlier to share that He too felt called to missions in Africa.

When we finally sat down to talk about this there was no doubt in our minds that this was what God wanted us to do. We had no idea what this would look like, but God has slowly been unveiling His plan and now, four years later, we’re finally saying yes to what God had called us to do so many years ago!

What does this look like? Uganda! We’ll be serving for 13 months in various areas of war torn Uganda with Africa Renewal Ministry. Coryn will be concentrating most of her efforts with Maranatha High School teaching and developing their science department and Jamesdon will be heavily involved with computer networking and instruction as well as media production. We’ll be serving mostly in southern Uganda with some extended stays in Gulu.

...where you come in

For many of you, we’d first like to say thank you for all the prayer, support, and guidance you’ve provided us in the last year of preparation. The journey has been challenging, but without you all it would have been nearly impossible.

With that said, I first and foremost want to start by asking you to join us in prayer with longing, anticipation, and expectation that the Lord will continue to guide and provide for us according to His will. The column to the right is a great place to start!

Secondly, we humbly ask that you partner with us in the work being done in Uganda by contributing to our financial commitment of 20,000 to cover our expenses for the year. If you’d like to unite with us in this undertaking you may send donations to 3012 Herrington Ave. San Bernardino 92405 payable to Africa Renewal Ministries and include "the Kisslings" in the memo line..

We thank you again for your continued prayers and support for our ministry and look forward to keeping you updated on our progress. To help us facilitate this please email us at jamesdonkissling@gmail.com with your contact info!