Merry Christmas From Northern Uganda!!!!

Merry Christmas from northern Uganda!  Today is Christmas Eve and we are about to spend our first Christmas 8,000 miles from our previous home.  Today also marks exactly seven months since our family boarded a Delta flight out of Birmingham and headed to Africa.  What an incredible seven months it has been!! 

Christmas is certainly different for us here.  For one thing, it’s hot!  We are in the beginning of the dry season here.  As I type this, the temperature is about 97 degrees with about a 20 mph wind blowing.  (This will continue pretty much solid for the next three months.)  We are trying to maintain some of the same family traditions we have, but to be honest Polar Express and hot chocolate just feel weird when you are dripping sweat.  We can’t get in the car this year and ride around and look at Christmas lights.  No going to the malls or stores to let the kids help me pick out their mom’s Christmas present.  So it’s different for sure.

BUT, different doesn’t necessarily mean bad.  What do I mean by that?  Well, it’s certainly different in that many things we are used to are not there anymore. But what we are finding out is that the things that are not there anymore were distracting us from what this season is all about.  Being away from the states has removed us from the busyness of the holidays that took our eyes off the Baby in the manger. 

In the past, by the mid-December,  I (Josh) was so overwhelmed with parties, get togethers, actually PAYING for Christmas, etc. that I couldn’t wait for it to be over.  Is that how we should celebrate the birth of our King?  Just trying to survive the “celebration”???  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying parties and food and get togethers and gifts are bad!  But when they take your eyes off Jesus, it’s certainly a problem.

Being here has allowed our family to fully set our gaze on Jesus.  No pressure to please our kids with the latest Apple product.  No obligations to be at every social function.  Instead, every single night of Advent, just celebrating the fact that God, in His grace, sent His Son, born of a virgin, to be the sacrifice for our sin!  I don’t want to sound cliché or cheesy, but it has been a deep breath of fresh air. 

So on Christmas Eve this year, I urge you to do the same.  Turn your eyes to Jesus.  Celebrate the birth of our Savior.  Enjoy your family and friends, but remember THEY are not the reason for our Christmas celebration.  Make the birth of the King THE priority.  Worship.  Him.  Give thanks for the baby in the manger and give thanks for the cross.  Merry Christmas from the Moody Tribe!

"Even Though I Was Filthy, He Accepted Me"

So, I (Josh) decided to write a new blog post, not so much to update everyone on what’s going on with the Moody family in Uganda.  (Most know that I do that quite enough on Facebook.)  But really to share one of the most powerful moments (to me, anyway) of our time so far here in Uganda.

It took place on July 4^th.  I know we, as Americans, typically think the rest of the world shuts down and throws a party and cooks out on July 4^th, just like we do.  But the reality is, to the rest of the world, July 4^th is the day after July 3^rd and the day before July 5^th.  Nothing more, nothing less.  So in Uganda, July 4^th is business as usual.  We were doing some ministry related things that morning, and our family had planned some fun activities and a cook out later that afternoon to celebrate the birth of our great country.

That morning, we had to make a home visitation with our Child Development Program (CDP).  The CDP identifies vulnerable children in the community (and there are many).  The children are enrolled in the program in hopes of gaining a sponsor that will help provide the child with adequate food, clothing, medical care, and get them in school.  (For more info on sponsoring a child through the Four Corners CDP program, click here.)  The home visits are basically a welfare check and are done to assess the needs from time to time of these families. 

For this particular visit, we decided to load our entire family (Kim, me, and all six kids) up and go with a few of our social workers to visit a widowed grandmother who was caring for a couple of children enrolled in the program.  Rarely do we take the whole family (for obvious reasons), but this day, we wanted to all be together all day. 

I was driving, and our eight passenger land cruiser was loaded down with about 11 people.  We turned off the main road (if you want to call it that) in our village, and began down a smaller “road”.  We wound through the bush and this road soon turned into no more than a walking path.  I had two wheels on the path and two were making their own way.  I honestly have no idea how our social workers even found this place, but we eventually came to the grandmother’s property deep in the bush. 

When we arrived, we made our way over to the grandmother’s Ot Lum (that is the traditional Acholi housing, grass roof hut).  When we did, we saw her making her way down a narrow path behind the home.  She had been digging in a small garden further in the bush.  She was excited to see us but was a little embarrassed at how dirty she was.  We assured her that it was no problem and everyone began getting out of the vehicle. 

Now, most that know our family, know that our 18 month old Gaines is a barrel of energy.  The boy never stops and he never meets a stranger.  He jumps out of the car and immediately begins looking for something to get into.  Then he saw the grandmother and stopped in his tracks.  She was filthy dirty.  She was dressed in clothes that were tattered and torn.  She was missing nearly all of her teeth.  Gaines just stopped and stared.  Then she throws her arms open and huge smile comes across her face.  She proceeded to say something in Acholi.  My Acholi certainly isn’t great yet, but it was obvious she wanted to hold Gaines.  I thought that this would not end well.  He is going to start crying.  This poor lady will get her feelings hurt or be offended and it would just be bad.  But much to my surprise, he looked at her for a few seconds and then ran into her arms and she scooped him up.  The smile on her face got even bigger then.

She began laughing and spoke some more in Acholi.   One of the ladies that was with us began laughing to, and said “That boy is a true missionary.”  I asked her what the grandmother was saying.  Our friend translated and what the grandmother said stopped me in my tracks.  She said in Acholi, “Even though I was filthy, he accepted me.”  She, of course, was speaking about a blonde haired, blued mzungu (white) baby boy from the United States, but the reason it hit me like a ton of bricks was because THAT. IS. THE. GOSPEL.

Even though I was filthy, He accepted me.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  While we were still sinners…….while we were still in active rebellion against the King of all creation, HE. DIED. FOR. US.  I was filthy and He accepted me.  I didn’t even accept Him.  I wasn’t capable or willing of accepting Him.  He accepted me only because of Christ’s work on the cross.

You see, God didn’t wait for me to “get it together”, because I can’t.  He didn’t wait for me to “be good”, because my heart is wicked and I can’t be good enough.  In His grace, He came to me because I wasn’t capable of coming to Him.  That’s good news.  That’s the Gospel.  Ultimately, that’s why we are here in Uganda in the first place.  Because Christ is great, and so many of the Acholi people don’t know the depths of His greatness. 

I’m thankful for the words that this precious grandmother spoke to my son that day, because they brought me back to a truth that I need to be reminded of on a daily basis.  Even though I was filthy, He accepted me.  If you are a Christ follower and are reading this, my prayer is that those words will drive you to worship.  If you are reading this and are not a Christ follower, my prayer is that those words will drive you to the only One worthy of our worship.

Much love from Africa!
The Moody Tribe

Reflections From Our First Month on the Field........

Hey everybody.  In our last post, we were a few days out from our departure date and I (Josh) admitted that I was absolutely terrified.  Well, we are now almost one month into life on the full time mission field, and it turns out that, once again, God has been faithful.  We are adjusting to making the bush of northern Uganda our home, and so far things are going well.

I have to make this post quick because the kids are waiting for me to watch The Jungle Book.  (One of the awesome things about Uganda is that you can get DVDs way before they are released in the states, and they cost about $0.60 apiece.)  But I wanted to share some brief thoughts on our first month as full time missionaries, not in any particular order.  (Disclaimer: These are my thoughts, and may or may not fully reflect those of our entire family.)

1.  Uganda is an absolutely amazing country.  We have known this, but knowing that it's our new home just makes it that much more real. The people are incredible and we have made good friends already.  The scenery is breathtaking.  Uganda is not called the Pearl of Africa for no reason.

2.  Raising six kids in America is hard, but raising six kids in a remote region of the world is even harder.  The many conveniences that we take for granted in the States are typically not available where we are.  What to do for dinner?  Want to run to Little Caesars and grab a pizza or go get nuggets and Chick Fil A?  Nope.  Not here.  Dinner prep typically starts around 1 p.m.  Feeding children is nearly a full time job.  Clothes are finished washing.  Throw them in the dryer?  Nope.  Hang them up on the line......unless it's rainy season.  Then you have to do the best you can.  Kids get bored.  It gets hot and they get cranky.  The list goes on and on.  BUUUUUTTTTTT.......

3.  Kids are incredibly resilient.  Our kiddos have done an amazing job since we have gotten here.  We certainly have hard times and fussy kids sometimes, but considering they have moved completely away from everything they have ever known, they are doing awesome.  They have all gotten involved in some sort of ministry alongside of us.  (Except Gaines.....and he's just busy period.)  I'm insanely proud of them.

4.  We ain't in Kansas (or Gardendale) anymore.  I know this is stating the obvious, but culture shock is a real thing.  Sometimes I stand in town or even in our own yard, and think "How in the world did I get here and what am I doing?"  Most people wouldn't believe some of things we have seen, even if we told them (now imagine seeing some of that as an 11, 9, 7, or 6 year old).  This is an amazing country, but it is a 180 degree turn from where I have been for 37 years.

5.  I am extremely thankful for the Four Corners missionaries who have laid the groundwork for what is being done here.  Several families  have done an incredible amount of work in this place to make the Gospel known.  God has used these families to bring scores of Acholi to faith in Jesus.  As a result we now have a thriving church and men and women are being reached with the Gospel everyday.  Thank you to those who have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel.

6.  Taking the Gospel to the nations is dangerous.  The week before we left, I preached a sermon at my home church about how we tend to idolize our own personal safety. God gave us the opportunity to "practice what we preached" as soon as we got on the ground.  Our good friend and teammate, Myron West, fell ill with malaria a couple of weeks before we got here.  He suffered complications that led to pneumonia and ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome).  As we were arriving in country, Myron took a turn for the worse, and has suffered irreparable brain damage.  Myron is now back in the U.S. but apart from a miracle from God, he will not survive.  As if that weren't enough, a week after we arrived, the city of Gulu (we are just outside of Gulu) became a war zone one Sunday night.  An hour long firefight took place and there is some pretty serious political unrest rising.  It's not safe.....but it's worth it.

7.  People need Jesus here just like they need Jesus in Alabama.  We are in a lost broken world.  People sometimes struggle with the same sins that people in America do, and sometimes they struggle from completely different things, but regardless we live in a fallen world, and we desperately need a Savior.  That's why we are here.  We have good news.  We know that Savior.  And we want the Acholi people to know him too.

So that's it for now.  I know what you're thinking.  "Josh, you only have seven reflections?"  No.  I have way more.  But we have limited internet here and it's about to run out for this month.  More to come.  Please continue to pray for the West family.  Please continue to pray for the Acholi people we are so blessed to minister to.  Please pray for us as we continue to "figure things out" so that God may be most glorified.  We love you guys and are thankful you are own this journey with us.

In Christ,
The Moody Tribe

Soooo.......can I be 100% honest for a second????

Let me start off by saying this is Josh posting.  I have a couple of minutes of precious quiet time, so I decided to write a quick blog post to be completely honest for all of social media to see.  So here it goes: I. Am. Terrified.  There it is, I said it.  I'm terrified.  We leave for Uganda in four days and I'm scared to death.  Does that sound unspiritual?  If so, I apologize, and praise God for His grace.  But it's true.


There is only a very small fraction of the earth's population that knows the emotions and feelings that run through someone as they prepare to move their family to the other side of the world.  In the months leading up to this, we have been greatly encouraged, and we are thankful for that.  We've almost been treated as heroes and we haven't even done anything yet.  It's great and awesome to talk about going...........but then it's time to go.  It's time to get on a flight to a destination 7800 miles away....with no return ticket in 10 days or 30 days or 180 days.  We've known it was coming for months and months, but it's time.  It's a hard to describe what that feels like. 


 And again, in the spirit of complete honesty, my fear is compounded by the fact that our dear brother and friend is fighting for his life in a Kampala hospital right this second.  The unknowns right now are through the roof.  Who in the world knows what the next six months holds for our friend and his family?  We trust and believe that he will make a full recovery, but it's unlikely it will be a quick one.   So what's next?


And I know, God doesn't give us a spirit of fear.  Any fear is from the enemy.  I agree with all of that and it is certainly true, but that doesn't stop it from flooding in.  I hate it, and I don't want fear of the unknown to grip me, but it does.  I'm human.  I'm a sinful human.


But here's the deal, when all is said and done, I am faced with one simple basic question:  Do I believe?  Do I really believe the Gospel?  Do I really believe it is the best news in all of human history?  Do I believe it enough to put my family on a plane to the other side of the world?  Do I believe it enough to go even in the face of extreme uncertainty?  Do I believe God is who He says He is?  Do I believe that He is good in the face of some very bad things?  Do I believe that He is enough for me and my family?  Do I believe?


The answer to every one of those questions is a resounding yes.  I do with every ounce of my soul.  And since the answer is yes, in spite of my own fear (and most of our family feels the same way), on Tuesday, we will put one foot in front of the other, and we will move.  I told my children we will take it one step at a time.  We will get on a plane from Birmingham to Atlanta.  Then we will get on a plane from Atlanta to Amsterdam.  Then from Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda.  And by God's grace, we will be in Uganda on Wednesday night and our first and foremost task will be to minister to our ill brother and his family.  In spite of fear, we will move.  And we will trust.  God has a way of making you trust Him more and more, and this is just another example of that.  And we are thankful. 


So, here we go.  Scared to death, we move.  Pray for us as we go.  Pray for our brother, Myron for a full recovery.  Pray for his wife and children. 


In Christ,
Josh

Getting Close!!!

Hey everybody, and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  We just wanted to send out a quick update on our family's upcoming move.  May 24th is approaching quickly.  As this post is being typed, we have sixteen days until departure.  The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy, and we expect the same leading up to us leaving.


At the end of April, I (Josh) said goodbye to the job and the company I have worked at for the last fifteen years.  I have been a mortgage loan officer at my dad's company, The Mortgage Center, since I graduated college, and it's really the only thing I've ever done.  I was blessed to work for an amazing company with an amazing boss and amazing co-workers.  But as of April 30th, that chapter of life came to an end.  It was incredibly difficult saying goodbye to the "norm", but it's just another part of the process. 


Since then, Kim and I have been wide open with finishing up buying supplies, packing, and preparing for the move.  Moving your family to the other side of the world is a full time job in itself.  Most of our packing is finished.  We have a few of our totes (plastic boxes that will serve as our checked bags and hold all of our possessions) still left to finish up, but that should be done in the next day or two.  The rest of the week will be spent handling the "business" of moving.  We will be handling bank accounts, powers of attorney, wills, and other "paperwork" items that have to be dealt with.  Our hope and prayer is that we can finish all of that this week, and then our last week in the States can be spent with family and friends. 


This is a fairly short update, but I wanted to leave everyone with some certain things to be praying for our family:
-Please pray that all of our loose ends can be tied up this week, so that our last week in the States can be spent with family and friends, and not in a mad scramble to finish things up. 
-Please pray that we will keep in mind the reason we are going to Uganda.....that is to make disciples.  It gets very easy to become so focused on actually getting there and getting settled that we forget to focus why we are going.  We don't want to spend more time preparing physically and materially than we do preparing spiritually.
-Please pray for our finances.  We still need some financial partners to come alongside of us monthly.
-Pray for our children.  They are doing well, and have been very helpful in the preparation process, but it is becoming apparent that they are getting anxious and nervous (understandable).  Pray against any spirits of fear and anxiousness.  (Pray that for Kim and I as well. :) )
-Pray for our families here.  Sometimes moving is harder on the ones left behind than it is on the ones going. 
-Pray for our teammates on the ground.  Pray specifically for the Mobbs, West, and Payton families.  These are the families we will be working with on the ground.  Pray for God to lay a framework of unity and love among our team.  We are so thankful for those that God has put on this team and are looking forward to working with all of them.
-Lastly, pray for the Acholi people.  Pray for the Gospel to be proclaimed clearly and for many of the Acholi to come to faith in Christ.


Thank you all for walking this journey with us.  We will try to update one more time before we head out in a couple of weeks. 


In Christ,
The Moody Tribe

Moody Family Update

Hey everybody!  We hope this update finds you all well.  As we get closer to our departure, and certainly when we are on the field, we want to keep everyone as up to date as possible on what we are doing, and more importantly on what God is doing.  As I (Josh) type this, we leave in EXACTLY 9 weeks (Tuesday, May 24).  Things are certainly beginning to get real.  We are now at about the same length of time before departure that we were at last time when we got delayed.  Anything past this will be new territory for us.


Currently, Kim is busy learning how to keep our family, teammates, and friends healthy in the bush.  Right now, she is just outside of Asheville, NC attending Equip International's Missionary Medical Intensive.  She has covered everything from how to stitch up cuts, to delivering babies, to diagnosing and treating tropical diseases.  It is literally a crash course in bush medicine.  For nearly the last two weeks, they have been going literally from 8 a.m. until around 11:30 p.m. most nights.  She has a couple of more days before she gets home.  We know that the information she has obtained will potentially be lifesaving for someone in the bush.....but the kids and I are really.....really...........really ready for mom to get back.  Pray for her these last couple of days and she completes her training.


When she gets back, our family is going to have a few days together of "downtime" due to the kids having spring break, and then we are putting the pedal to the medal.  We still have supplies to purchase, logistics to work out, doctors appointments to finish up, and other general business that goes into moving your family to the other side of the world. 


We get asked all the time how our fundraising is going.  God has been so faithful in providing what we need, when we need it.  We really have two "types" of fundraising.  We have our one time expenses that people can give a one time donation toward.  These are things like airfare, our vehicle, setting up our house, etc.  Praise be to God, we have met and even exceeded our target goal for our one time expenses. 


We also have our recurring monthly expenses.  As the name suggests, these expenses that recur every month, like our living expenses, any utilities, fuel, salary, etc.  Typically if someone wanted to support us in this way, it would be a recurring monthly donation.  To date, we are still a little short of where we would like to be on the monthly support.  However, we know God will provide every penny needed. 


We are so thankful for faithful churches and individuals who have come alongside us financially in any way.  Most have been with us from the beginning and did not waiver a bit when we were delayed.  That speaks volumes.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.  We would also ask you to pray and consider supporting as well.  If  you or your church may be interested in partnering with us financially,  simply click here.  Feel free to email me (josh@fourcorners.org) or message me on Facebook for more information or if you have questions. 


Lastly, please join us in prayer over the next couple of months.  Pray for me, to lead my family well Spiritually, emotionally, and physically as we prepare for this new journey.  Pray for Kim as she prepares to pack our lives into 24 plastic totes to take to another continent.  Pray for our children, that God will build excitement and anticipation for the move. Pray for our teammates at Abaana's Hope and for the Acholi people they are ministering to, that God will continue to move in major ways, and the gospel will continue to be made known.


I will continue to update as often as time will allow.  Thank you all for tagging along with us on this new adventure. 
God bless,
The Moody Tribe

The Countdown is on........Again.

Hey everyone.  It's been a while since we have posted, because quite frankly, we have been so busy with eight kids that we haven't been able to see straight.  The last several months have been very difficult.  Our lives were turned upside down.  We have battled sickness in kids.  We have dealt (the best we can) with emotionally fragile children (our niece and nephew AND our own).  We've spent most every night up with at least one child.  Kim and I have had days when we absolutely did not think we could take any more.  But God never left.  We survived another day and then another and another.  He poured out grace upon grace and proved Himself faithful.  Everyday. 


By His grace, last Tuesday, February 2nd, our niece and nephew whom we had grown to love like our own children got to be reunited with family in the care of their mom and grandparents.  Please continue to pray for all of them as they begin this healing process.  


So that brings us back to Uganda and Abaana's Hope.  We are beyond excited to let everyone know that after a lot of prayer, we have rebooked our flights and we now have a new departure date of May 24th!!!


Why May 24th?  Why not like next week?  Well, to be honest, with all that has gone on over the last 6 months, we have had to put our move on the back burner.  We haven't been able to focus on Africa very much.  So we first of all have to re-focus our attention on Uganda.  We have to finish purchasing supplies and working out logistics.  (Turns out, moving your family to the other side of the planet is quite the undertaking.)  Kim also has a two week bush medicine course that she is taking in North Carolina in March.  This is a missionary medical intensive that specializes in teaching missionaries medical skills in remote places where medical care might not be easily accessible.  We feel like this course will be invaluable for our time in the bush in Uganda.  The last reason, and one of the most important is that we want the kids to be able to finish out the school year.  Their world is about to be turned upside down as it is.  There is no reason to uproot them with two months of school left. 


So that's it.  In just a few months, God willing, we will be on the ground serving in Uganda.  We are ready to get there, but we are so thankful for the lessons God has shown us and for the opportunity to pour into our niece and nephew over the last six months.  He is good and gracious beyond our comprehension!


From the day this is being typed, we have 107 days!  Let the countdown begin..........again!
We would appreciate your continued prayers!
The Moody Tribe

Today Doesn't Look Anything Like We had Planned.........

Today, October 6th, 2015 was supposed to look much different.  October 6th was supposed to be the day before we stepped out into the unknown and moved our family to Uganda.  This was to be our last full day in the States for at least a couple of years.  We have thought about this day and played out a scene in our minds countless times over the last 12 months. 


What would we be doing the day before we leave to move to northern Uganda?  We pictured checking and re-checking packing lists and maybe even weighing our 24 totes that will carry all of our remaining possessions again to make sure we are not over the allowed weight limit.  We envisioned double and triple checking travel documents and airline itineraries.  We would make sure our transportation to the airport was taken care of.  And then there's the obvious, the tears would flow as we soaked up as much time as we could with our family and friends before heading out.  We probably wouldn't sleep at all tonight......well Gaines doesn't sleep much anyway, but the rest of us wouldn't either this night.  Then the day of departure would come.....and we would go.


But that's not what today looks like.  About two months ago, "our plans" were interrupted.  (If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here.)  So as a result, October 6th looks nothing like I had envisioned.  Instead, we had seven kids up at 6:30 getting them ready for their day at school and daycare.  Kim went to Bible study with the 8th child in tow.  Since we would prefer that all of these children have food, I am off to my office (that I didn't think I would even be working at anymore) trying desperately to grasp major lending changes that are taking place in the mortgage business right now (changes that I didn't think would affect me, because hey, I'm moving to Africa, right?).  Tonight, I will take 2 kids to soccer practice with the other six in tow.  Kim will make a run to Costco.....because we have to buy in bulk.  Then, after practice, we will begin the task of cleaning all of the children thoroughly, feeding them, and putting them to bed.  Kim and I will then collapse into bed when the last child goes to sleep......and we will do it again tomorrow.  No boarding passes.  No luggage.  No hurrying to gates.  No waking up in the country that will be our new home.  Not yet anyway.  Only the new routine.


This new routine is not what we had planned for.  For that matter, this new routine is not what we asked for.  But I know one thing for sure, we do not want to waste it.  We are one million percent certain that the Sovereign God of the universe orchestrated these plans long before any of us were in existence.   Therefore, we do not want to waste what He is trying to teach us through this.  (He has already shown me, Josh, things about myself that are not awesome, and needed to be repented of.)  We do not want to waste an opportunity to show the Gospel in action to our own children and to the children entrusted in our care.  And we do not want to waste an opportunity to lean into Jesus and trust Him more than we have ever had to before.  We are beginning to see that this is some hands on training for some of the broken situations we will encounter overseas.  And we are thankful for God's grace in allowing us to experience that.


One of my favorite quotes is from missionary Jim Elliot.  He said "Wherever you are, be all there."  Maybe you, the person reading this right now, find yourself in a situation you didn't expect, or necessarily plan for.  Maybe it's a situation you don't even want.  Wherever you are, be all there.  What is God showing you through it?  How can you trust Him more?  How can He be brought glory through what you are walking through right now?  Ask yourself these things.  Whatever your current situation is........own it for the glory of God.  Be. All. There.  For His glory and His renown.


As for us, we still have a lot of unknowns.  We are praying for some clarity in the situation over the next few weeks.  Please pray with us.  We still don't have a rescheduled date of departure.  Please pray for God to move mountains.  We desperately want to be in Africa, but until then.....wherever we are....we will be all there.  We love you guys and covet your prayers and encouragement.


In Christ,
The Moody Tribe

"For My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts........" An update on our journey to Northern Uganda.

I once read an autobiography of a Navy SEAL, and he stated in the book that one of the most frustrating things about being a SEAL was when you prepare and practice and rehearse and train and cover every scenario possible for a particular mission, only to have that mission change at the last second, or worse, you are told to stand down. 


I am not in any way comparing myself or my family to a group of Navy SEALs, nor do I even remotely understand what they go through in their training.  However, I can relate to this particular scenario.  For the last 16 months, my family has focused every ounce of our attention on planning, fundraising, and preparing to make our move to the bush of northern Uganda to serve the Acholi people with Four Corners Ministries.  We have prayed and fasted.  We have spoken in numerous venues.  We have sat down face to face with supporters.  We have made list after list, and stayed up night after night preparing.  As I type this blog, we were 32 days away from taking a one way flight to Uganda.


Then, a few weeks ago, that changed.  To protect those we love, I will not go into details, except to say that family members, who are very dear to us, had their children (a 2 year old little girl, and a 4 year old little boy) removed from their home under difficult circumstances.  To make a long story very short, for a variety of reasons, no other family members were able to take the children into their home.  So Kim and I faced two options: take the children into our home, or let them go into the foster care system and continue in our plans to depart for Uganda on October 7. 


Let's step back, first, and look at this logically.  We have already purchased 8 one way plane tickets to depart from Birmingham on October 7.  We have a home being built for us in the bush that is very near completion. We just purchased a vehicle for our family in Uganda.  We have raised nearly all of the necessary funds to go.  We have sold our house and live in a 1300 sq. foot home provided by our church.  We have sold all of our personal belongings.  (We don't even have any winter clothes!!)  Oh yeah, and we already have six kids. 


Now let's look Biblically.  One of our roles in serving the Acholi of northern Uganda is to love and minister to vulnerable children......the least of these, if you will.  Another one of our roles will be to serve hurting families.  Another of our roles, and this being our primary, is to make to disciples of Jesus Christ.


So we looked at it logically.  Every logical reason, says we go to Africa.  Then we looked at it Biblically.  Very quickly we came to this conclusion:  How can we go and fulfill these roles abroad if we are unwilling to fulfill them at home within our own family?


So as of three weeks ago, we have temporarily become a family of ten.  As this is being typed, we have four beautiful little girls asleep in one room, three incredible little boys asleep in another room, and an amazing baby boy asleep in a pack n play in our bedroom.  This DOES NOT, I repeat, it does not change our Uganda plans other than backing them up a bit. 


We still feel very strongly that God is calling us to serve the Acholi people with Four Corners Ministries.  We don't know why this has happened right now.  Is God testing us to see if we will be faithful?  Maybe.  I don't know.  But we have leaned into Isaiah 55:8-9 more than ever before.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  God has a plan in this.  We trust His plan, because it's better than ours.  His ways are better than ours. And we rest in that. 

We are just not sure of our timeframe at this point.  Prayerfully, it won't be more than a couple of months, but we are committed to serving these precious kids for now, and we are hoping and praying that they can quickly return to their mom and dad.  Until then, we will love them like they are our own.  Our team members at Four Corners have given us their full support and are behind us 100%.  This support means more than they will ever know and confirms to us yet again, that we are with the right organization. 

I can agree with the SEAL that said it is frustrating when your mission gets changed.  I would be lying if we said we weren't a little frustrated with the way that our path had changed, BUT we are not upset or disappointed.  Our mission has changed, but it's not less important that moving to Uganda.  He has given us a task here, and we will be faithful in it.  Pray for us as we adjust to being a family of ten for this season of our lives.  Also, pray for our extended family as they work to get their children back.  Lastly pray for these sweet babies as they go through this difficult period.  Pray that somehow they see Jesus in all of this brokenness.

As always, we are grateful for all of you, friends. 
God bless,
The Moody Tribe

Outpost or Fort???

So those that know me, know that I have a kind of weird of obsession with all things relating to military special operations, particularly Army Special Forces and the Navy SEALs.  I am fascinated by any man who is among the fittest in the world, can jump out of a plane from 30,000 feet at night, land without injury, speak three different dialects of Arabic when he hits the ground, and put a round on target from 1000 yards.  That, to me, is an impressive skill set. 

So I was watching a show on the National Geographic Channel a while back about a U.S. Special Forces ODA stationed in Afghanistan.  ODA stands for "Operational Detachment Alpha".  A typical Special Forces ODA is made up of 12 men each with his own specialty.  This particular ODA was stationed at a very remote outpost alone and highly vulnerable to enemy attack.  It was basically these guys, some support personnel and that was basically it. 

The program showed how they lived at the outpost and followed some day to day routines, but was mainly focused on their mission, and what they did.  What struck me about this group of men was how pro-active they were in their mission.  Their job was basically to find and destroy the enemy.  They did not sit around and wait for the Taliban to attack them.  They took the fight to the Taliban. 

Every single day these men went out into the fray.  They went out to battle the enemy.  The outpost was not their home.  They came back to re-arm, sleep, eat, exercise, and maybe catch a little downtime, and it was back out again.....looking for the bad guys.  They absolutely did not hunker down in the outpost, pray they weren't attacked and ride it out until their tour was over and they could go home.  They had a job to do, and they were going to do it.

This is a different picture than the forts or fortified cities that we see built throughout history.  These were guarded, protected, and kept the enemy from getting in.  They were designed to hunker down and fight off the enemy.  When an invading force attacked, those inside the forts would defend, and simply hope they weren't overrun.  These fortified cities were all about holding ground already claimed and had nothing to do with taking new, enemy held ground.

As I watched the show, it dawned on me that these are two contrasting pictures of the church.  Our churches (yes, I know the church is the people, but you know what I mean) were designed to operate like the Special Forces outpost.  We come in.  We worship.  We recharge.  We fellowship.  We learn God's Word.  Some may teach God's Word.  THEN WE ARE TO GO BACK OUT INTO THE FRAY.  We get back in the fight.  We go where the enemy is.  We seek out the lost, the broken, the poor.  We go to the difficult places.  BECAUSE WE HAVE A MISSION.  Our mission is to make Christ known, and HE will destroy the enemy.

But I'm afraid it's not like that.  Most of our churches have turned into fortified cities.  We are hunkering down in the proverbial fetal position among our other Christian friends and waiting on Jesus to come back.  We may go eat at Chick Fil A to support traditional marriage, or we may post scripture on Facebook, but we won't dare go to the dangerous places.  That would be crazy.  So we sit.  And we wait. 

Make no mistake, our God wins the war.  And He doesn't need our help doing it.  But He's inviting us to play a role.  Let's join Him.  He wins.

Today, 147 Christians were slaughtered at a Kenyan college.  Tragedies like this should affect us, but shouldn't surprise us. This world is getting darker and it's only going to get worse.   Are we, this Easter weekend, going to go into our churches and cover our heads, and ask Jesus what in the world is taking him so long?  Or are going to go to the outpost, re-arm and go back out and fight. 

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12). 

Get up and go fight.

It's Just a Dog.......

So we decided that we would use our blog to give people who cared to read a glimpse of our journey to the mission field; the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Things are pretty busy around here these days, and between home school, trying to raise support, trying to sell a house, preparing to move to another home in between the sell of our house and moving to Uganda, preparing for a baby coming in January, and trying to keep life as normal as possible for our five kids, we've been a little pre-occupied.  Exhausting is an understatement, and we haven't been able to post as much as we would like to. 


But something happened yesterday that we felt the need to share.  We gave our dog, Chance, away.  Chance has been a part of our family for the last 2 1/2 years.   We got him against my (Josh's) will (I'm not an animal person), when the girls made all A's on their last report card a couple of years ago.  But over the last couple of years, he has grown on us all (well, except maybe Kim because he tore up all of her patio cushions multiple times).  The kids loved him, and although they didn't play with him as much as they should have, he was always in the backyard waiting on them, whenever they wanted to.


Yesterday, he went to live with some friends of ours.  They have three kids, and Chance is lucky to have a new family like them.  He will be well taken care of.  As we all said our goodbyes yesterday, all of the kids were okay, except for one.  I won't say who, because she might get embarrassed, but she got very upset, and stayed that way for a while. 


We didn't really understand why at first.  I mean, she didn't really even play with the dog very much.  She griped when she had feeding duty.  And often complained about how he was "pooping" up the back yard and they couldn't play back there.  Nobody else was upset.  So why was she?  It's just a dog, right?


 Kim and I laid in bed last night talking about it, and the truth of it finally dawned on me.  Even though Chance wasn't her "best friend", it was a big deal when he left, because for this child, Chance represented security and normalcy.  She has known that everyday for the last 2 1/2 years, she could walk in the backyard and that dog would come bounding up to her wanting to play.  That was normal to her.  In a way, she could "rest" in that.  All of a sudden, he's not there anymore. 


Over the next year, nearly every ounce of normalcy that these children have ever known is going to be removed.  Things are going to be taken away.  The only pet they have ever had is now gone.  The only home they have known is going to be sold.  The only city they've ever lived in (or remember living in) will not be home anymore.  Their family and friends will soon be 9000 miles away.  No travel league soccer games, no school dances, no dance recitals, no baseball games, no spend the night parties.  These are all good things, and my kids more than likely will not experience them.  And to be quite honest with you, that sucks.  Am I excited about what we are doing?  Absolutely.  But the thought that my children will miss out on these things make me sad.  That probably doesn't sound very "missionary-y" but it's true. 


Sometimes, though, God strips away what is good to reveal what is best.  He takes things that maybe we are clinging to a little to tightly and asks us to lay them down, in order that He may best be glorified in us.  He does this with men and women all through scripture.  Abraham, Moses, the disciples, Paul, the early church, all of them gave up a great deal (many their own lives) to best be used by God.  I can say with 100% certainty, as those men and women stand in eternity, that it was worth it. 


So I ask you all to pray for us over these next months and years.  Pray for us as we begin to strip down some of the things we are clinging too tightly to.  Pray that God would give us grace in explaining this to our children.  It's hard for them to understand.  Heck, it's hard for me to understand sometimes.  Pray that we would find our rest, not in what is normal and secure, but in the One who never changes.  Pray that we will cling to Christ.


Much Love,
The Moodys

Buy a shirt, help send us to the field.

If you know the Moodys and our fundraising, two things we will do in a second is have a yard sale and sell a t shirt.  There are no yard sales planned in the near future, but we have been working on some t shirt designs and are ready to roll them out!!!!!!  Just like last time we sold shirts, we will be doing a pre-order, with money being collected before the shirts are ordered. 

One design (available in red short sleeve and gray long sleeve) reads "The Gospel Changes Everything" and references the scripture verse Ezekiel 36:26 which says "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."  We thought this was a very fitting because of the work God is doing at Abaana's Hope and in the surrounding communities.  I (Josh) visited back in January.  It was the second time I had visited Gulu.  My time earlier this year was night and day from the first time we visited in May 2013.  I have never witnessed such a visible change brought on by the Gospel like that in my life.  The first time we visited the men and women at Abaana's Hope would not even look you in the eye.  There was a feeling of hopelessness and despair.  When I returned in January, there was joy and laughing and community and love, all brought on by the advancement of the Gospel into areas where it was not before.  To sum it up, the Gospel changes everything.

The other design is simply the continent of Africa with the Ezekiel passage on it.

So without further ado, here you go!!!!

       
                                                                            

Design #2
Adult S-XL Long Sleeve $25
Youth Long Sleeve $20
2XL & 3XL for $3 more

Design #1
Adult S-XL Short Sleeve $20
Youth Short Sleeve $15
2XL & 3XL for $3 more

Design #3
Adult S-XL short sleeves $20
Youth S-L short sleeve $15
2XL & 3XL $3 more

Just an FYI, with this style shirt, soft shirts are a tad less generous of a fit than a normal t-shirt.  They're a nicer, softer t-shirt, but if you are between two sizes, we would suggest choosing the larger!


If you would like to pre-order a shirt, payments can be made online through Paypal with the payment button on the top right, or online through PayPal to moodyfam7@yahoo.com   Please include in the message box your size, style (long or short sleeve), and if you want it shipped with address. Or you can email your info to moodyfam7@yahoo.com  and send me a check in the mail.  If you would like it shipped please add an additional $4 for shipping plus $1 for each additional shirt you order.  If the shirt is not paid for by the pre-order date (which will be determined), we won't be able to order one for you.  (Sorry, unfortunately we can't pay for 300 shirts in advance!)


So share this blog!  Spread the word! Order a shirt, and help us get to Gulu!!!! God bless!!!!
The Moodys

Update from the Moody Tribe

Hey guys!  It has been a crazy couple of months since our last update.  Since then, we have started homeschool with our three girls (the boys are still going to preschool at our church) in preparation for going overseas next year.  My incredible wife is doing an amazing job teaching, and the kids love it (on most days).  Some days are tough, because they do miss their friends at school, but it's awesome  to see how much they are already learning though in a few weeks.  They are doing a great job. 

In the last month, we also found out we are having a baby boy in January.  His name is still to be determined, although Ironman has been thrown in there by Mark, and is a frontrunner if you ask me.  (I'm kidding....sort of.  Because really, how many kids do you know named Ironman?)  This evens the kid count 3-3 (boys and girls).  To those who say we need one more just for a tie breaker.......don't go there.......just don't.  Kidding aside, we are ecstatic about this little guy coming into the world.

Last month, we attended the standing room only Four Corners fundraising banquet, Experiencing Africa.  I was blown away by the amount of supporters that attended.  We had a great time, and people got to see a little piece of what God is doing through Abaana's Hope in Gulu.

Four Corners board members praying over our family and the Mobbs family at the banquet.

Sandra Watkins and her husband, Four Corners president, Royce, speaking on their experience living in Gulu, serving at Abaana's Hope.

We are also excited to say that the support train is officially moving.  In just the first couple of months of fund raising for Uganda, God has already brought us in contact with some amazing people and we have gained some incredible partners.  We are literally praise Him daily for those of you who have prayed for us, supported us with your encouraging words, and blessed us with financial support (to learn more about supporting financially click here).  We are still 12 months out from the field and we are already finding out how vital the support team is to the missionary.   

Over these next several months, we also want to get in front of as many people as possible to tell them about what God is doing through Abaana's Hope and how the Gospel is advancing among the Acholi people of northern Uganda.  You can help us with this.  We would love to speak to your church, small group, youth group, or even have coffee or a meal with you or your family.  When you're passionate about something you talk about it.  This is our passion.  This is what God has set us apart to do.  This is our "for such a time as this".  And we just want to tell people about it.  If you would like for us to come and share (doesn't matter if it is one person or 1000 people), let me know.  You can reach me (Josh) on Facebook, or email me at josh@themortgagecenterinc.com. 

So that's where we are!  T minus 12 months and counting.  We are so excited about watching God work over the next year even before we go overseas, that we can hardly stand it.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support.  They are appreciated more than you will ever know.

In Christ,
The Moody Family

Partnering With God.......

Well, here it is......our first "support raising" blog post.  For a long time I (Josh) dreaded this.  This was going to be tough for me.  I didn't want to go around asking people for money.  I have never wanted to do that.  I (Josh) have pride issues. (I'm working on it daily.) So I guess it's the pride coming up maybe, but I don't like asking for handouts.  Last year, when our family was raising money to go to Uganda, we always tried to provide something of value (t shirt, Crossfit competition, free family tailgate party, etc) in return for the money people were so generously giving.  I mean, I apologize to you or your kid if this applies to you, but I purposely go through the side door when people are standing in front of Walmart because it seems more like panhandling than "fundraising," but I digress.  (And don't any of you judge me, because you all do it too.......unless you do the fake cell phone call....that's a good one too.)  Anyway, my point being, I don't like flat out asking for money.  So I knew raising support for our moving expenses and monthly expenses for our work in Gulu, Uganda was going to be awkward at best.  I didn't want people to see me coming and run the other way because they thought I was just going to ask them to support us.




It wasn't something that I was excited about.  That is, until I sat down with a dear friend of mine (and fellow missionary) who explained to me that I wasn't "begging" for money or asking for a handout at all.  Far from it.  In actuality, I was extending a privilege to other brothers and sisters in Christ.   You see, when a missionary is raising support, what they are really doing is offering the opportunity for another believer to partner with God in what He is already doing in a particular area.  When the missionary goes, he or she is privileged to get to partner with God wherever He sends them.  When a supporter gives, that supporter also becomes a direct partner with what God is doing in that area by financially sending a missionary.  That's the beauty of mission work.  GOD IS ALREADY AT WORK.  He is doing what He is going to do.  BUT He, in His grace and love, allows us to be a part of that work.  He doesn't need us to do it.  It's not like His plans won't get accomplished if my family doesn't move to Gulu, but He is letting us be a small part of what He is already at work doing!!!!  Grasp THAT for a second.  By supporting us, He is also allowing others who can't go to get in on His work there as well.  We all get the joy and blessing, God gets the glory!  It's an ingenious plan!




The apostle Paul understood this concept when he commended the Philippian church for their support of him (Philippians 4:14-19).  No other churches were partnering with him except the Philippians.  THEY got be part of what God was doing through Paul!!!




So, ALL that being said, I unashamedly ask you, dear reader, would YOU pray about partnering with us financially in Gulu?  I say pray about it, because we want you to be 100% sure that God wants you to partner with us financially before you do.  We don't want you to give because we've been friends for a long time and you feel like "you should."  We want God to be all over this.  So, first pray.  If He says "no", not financially, we are totally cool with that. 




So, what if the answer is "yes"?  What next?  How can you partner with us financially for the advancement of the Gospel among the Acholi of northern Uganda?  There are really two ways.  You can donate "one time" for one time expenses (travel expenses, automobile, housing set up, etc.).  Our one time expenses are the costs to get us in country and set up in our home (including all plane tickets, visas, a vehicle, appliances, furniture, etc).  Or you can donate monthly (think child sponsorship, only missionary sponsorship.)  The monthly giving goes to cover our monthly or recurring costs (rent, food, utilities, language training, home school budgets, etc.)  We have a detailed line item budget that we will gladly send to any potential supporters upon request.


If this is something you are interested in, it's as simple as clicking here.  You can select recurring or one time donation.  Click Abaana's Hope Missionaries and our name should appear in a dropdown box.  Just follow the directions from there.  Monthly donations can be automatically deducted from your account. 


Another question people have asked is when should they start giving.  Our answer is simply as soon as God gives them the go ahead.  The sooner we start gaining support, the closer we get to our support raising goals.  If supporters give a recurring donation, the money will go directly to our one time fund until we need it to live on monthly.  So the sooner the better! :) 


So that's that.  We are now officially support raising.  And now officially ask you to pray about joining us.  Would God have you partner with us in taking the Gospel to the Acholi people who have been without hope for so long?  We thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts.


In Christ,
The Moodys

Changes In Latitude........

Roughly five months ago, we wrote a blog post about the calling God had placed on our family to move overseas to minister to and serve the incredible people of Uganda.  You can read that post here.  At that time, we didn't know a whole lot of details, just that God was telling us to go.  He didn't reveal the when, where, and how immediately, but we were okay with that.  We just committed to taking small steps of obedience one at a time. 

Since then, God has been faithful to open doors and to close doors, and we have praised Him for both.  So after much prayer and fasting, and seeking God's Face, it is our incredible privilege to announce that we have gone on staff as full time missionaries with Four Corners Ministries.

Four Corners is based out of Opelika, AL. Our mission is this:  “Four Corners Ministries is focused on sharing the Gospel of Christ and demonstrating His love through mission efforts in Uganda and South Sudan.  We seek to bring hope through evangelism, discipleship, orphan care, and community health projects.  Our passion is for God to be glorified as we serve others, so that they may know Christ and be comforted in their suffering.”

Our family will be serving with two other missionary families in Gulu, Uganda.  Gulu is in northern Uganda approximately 75 miles from the South Sudan border.  We will be working among the Acholi people group. 

For the last 25 years, Gulu has been at the heart of a brutal civil war between Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government forces.  An old African proverb says "When two elephants fight, the grass beneath is trampled."  In no other place has this proverb been more evident.  Over two decades of brutal war between these two "elephants" has decimated innocent Acholi lives in northern Uganda.  In addition to thousands and thousands slaughtered by both the LRA and Ugandan forces, northern Uganda's infrastructure was also crushed.  Companies and entire industries pulled out of northern Uganda due to fear of the rebel army.  (At one time, in the not so distant past, northern Uganda was among the most dangerous places on earth.)  This, in turn, left the economy devastated and made basic needs such as sanitation, police protection, and medical help vastly lacking, and in most cases, non-existent. 

Heavy fighting died down in 2008, and since then most of the of LRA has disbanded and defected, but the Acholi people will feel the effects of this war for decades to come.  To say there is a feeling of hopelessness is an understatement.  Poverty is rampant and unemployment is around 80%.  That, however, is not the most desperate part of their situation. 

Northern Uganda is a very spiritually dark place.  Most Acholi claim to be Christian, but by saying they are "Christian" simply means they are NOT Muslim.  The primary religion among the Acholi is Roman Catholicism.   Most of the "Christians" still practice some form of tribal, animistic, or ancestral worship, and witchcraft is VERY rampant.  Less than 2% of Acholi are Evangelical Christian.  There is a vast lostness in northern Uganda and a need to make Christ known.

Downtown Gulu

The market in Gulu

Heavy rains downtown

This is where our family is going.  And we are going with the only lasting hope that we have to offer:  Jesus Christ.  Nothing else can remedy the situation among the Acholi.  Nothing.  Period. 


What will we be doing?  Well, our primary focus will be ministering at a community development project and comprehensive children's village called Abaana's Hope.  Abaana's Hope is a 100 acre piece of property about 25 kilometers outside of Gulu.  It is truly "in the bush.”  Nothing anywhere around.  Our jobs at Abaana's Hope will range from evangelism and discipleship to orphan care to basic medical care, and a little of everything in between.  One of our team members, currently serving in Gulu, said the best answer to give when asked what we would be doing is "God stuff.”  Above all, we will seek to glorify God in everything that we undertake.



Newly constructed medical clinic at Abaana's Hope

Constructing the Church at Abaana's Hope

We are looking at a departure date of sometime next summer.  We would like for it to be June or July of 2015, but we know that God is sovereign and we won't get there one second before or after He has ordained us to.  We still have a house to sell and things to pay off.  We nearly have the details of our budget worked out and will begin to raise support very soon.  We will release details on that in the next few weeks. 

That's about it for now.  God has revealed the "where" and "who" to serve, but we still have a lot of unknowns.  We are taking the same approach as always: taking the small steps and letting God open doors and provide as He sees fit.  HE'S ALWAYS FAITHFUL. 

So, if you have stayed with me long enough in this post, what do we need you to do?  That is a very easy answer: Pray.  We ask that you go before the sovereign God of the universe on our behalf.  We ask that you pray as our family begins the long road to Gulu.  We ask that you pray all logistical details to fall into place.  We ask that you pray for our spiritual growth and maturity.  We ask that you pray and see if God would lead you to partner with us financially.  Again, we will have more details soon on how you can do that.  But above all, partner with us in prayer. 

We would be humbled if you would commit to praying for our family daily as we begin this new journey.  I will say this a million times, I'm sure, but we would rather have someone partner with us that is committed to getting on his or her face daily before God on behalf of our family than someone who gives us $200/month but never thinks about us in prayer.  Now, if you would like to get on your face daily before God AND give $200/month, that would be fantastic......but I digress!  (Kidding.......well, not really.)

Prayerfully, we will be posting much more often so those that want to can walk through this journey with us.  We know that it will definitely not be easy.  But Jesus never said following Him to the ends of the earth would be (as a matter of fact, He said quite the opposite).  However, there are two things we know beyond a shadow of a doubt.  One, He will ALWAYS be with us and will not abandon us for a split second.  And two, it will be totally worth it.  We love you all.


In Him,

The Moody Family