Love Works

   At my church, Oasis Church, we are going through a series called "Love Works." The series is helping people build the marriage that they have always dreamed of. From what I have heard, people have been really blessed by the series. God is going to do some amazing things in Los Angeles and the enemy does not like it. That being said, the enemy is attacking the relationships that are closest to our hearts to distract us and take us off course. If the enemy can break up a marriage, then he can break up a family, and if he breaks up the family, then he can attack the church. When the church is built up of strong marriages and families, then we are not vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. When we, as a family, as a church, are weak and broken, we leave room for the enemy to destroy what God is doing in our city. As a church family, we are training families to withstand the attacks of the enemy and proclaim God's truth over their marriages and families. 

   This last Sunday was an amazing day. We had a guest speaker, Dr. Robi, who spoke about relationships. He said something that really spoke to me...


"You don't have to do anything stupid to ruin your relationships, you just have to do nothing."

   So when hardships come in your relationships, don't be afraid to take action and fix it. If the first strategy you try, fails, then find another way and keep trying. Trial and error isn't stupid, doing nothing and giving up is stupid. 

   When I was in Uganda for 4 months, I only had 1 plan...to love. I went across the world for one little boy, a little boy who I believe in and who God did not forget about. To everyone else, Bogere was a lost cause, but not to me and not to God.

   Last week I was reading an e-mail from Pastor Ruth about how things are going at Smile Africa and how Bogere was doing. She told me that recently the children had an interview to get into one of the best elementary schools in Tororo. Bogere passed the interview and was accepted into the school! Not only was he accepted into the school, but he had the best interview out of all the children! When all the children were silent, Bogere spoke up and answered all the questions. My boy is now the top of his class already and the school year hasn't even started yet. When I read that, tears began flowing my cheeks. The thought in my head was... "How great is my God!!"

   When everyone thought that Bogere would not amount to anything, I just LOVED him. And now he is the top of his class. LOVE WORKS. You don't always need a degree or PhD...all you need is a heart that God can move, a heart that can love without limits. Just 6 months ago Bogere was forgotten about, left for dead. God heard his cry, told a heart that may be "unqualified", but a heart that was willing, a heart that could love without limits, to go. I went...I loved. Love Works.

   City of Lights Baby Home is now under construction! We have started the building process and I am so excited! We are still believing God for more fiances though. We do not have all the finances that we need to complete it, but we are starting the construction anyway. I am believing that the money is going to come and these babies will be rescued and have a home. If you would like to give and be apart of the amazing, life changing ministry, than please to go www.smileafrica.org. We can't do this without you. Here are a couple pictures of us beginning the construction for City of Lights Baby Home. 

                  

   Thank you to everyone who made this beginning process possible. Thank you for believing in me and the dream that God has placed in my heart. Together, we can change the world, one child at a time. 

New Territory

   Yesterday, God spoke to me. It was so loud and so clear that chills shot through my body. When God speaks and you feel the Holy Spirit's presence you can't help but sit still and soak it all in. There have been a few times when God has spoken to me and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was God, no question, but there have been other times where I was not so sure. One thing that I have noticed is that typically the easy way out or the easy solution is probably not from God. God has not called ME to live an easy, comfortable life. When you choose God above all else, your life becomes about what HE wants for you, not what you think would be good for yourself. This is what God told me...

"Paris, your calling is greater than you can imagine. You are entering a new territory. You will conquer new ground. When declaring territory in MY name there will be persecution and suffering, but do not be afraid. For the things I have called you, I have equipped you. Prepare for battle knowing that I am with you. You can do this! Love, God." 

   I never imagined that at 21 years old I would be living in Africa, taking care of orphans, being a mom to the motherless, or building a baby's home, in fact, for a quick minute, I wanted to be an actress. HA! If you would have told me when I was 15 years old that I was going to be spending a lot of my life in Africa taking care of orphans I would have thought you were crazy.

   When I was 15 years old, I lost my best friend to Leukemia. It was a really rough time for me, but through it all God was preparing me for the battles that I would have to face in the future that I had no idea about. I was so devastated that had you told me that God was going to use my pain to help bring healing to other people, I wouldn't have listened. But that is exactly what happened. When we are going through a hard time, we usually can't see what God is doing in us or through us. It's not until we use our testimony to help bring someone out of their suffering, that we realize the work that God was doing all along.

   In other news...I talked to Bogere on the phone the other day. It was the most amazing conversation. When I heard his voice, tears began to fall down my cheeks. He told me that he was doing well and that he missed me. Bogere said that he couldn't wait to see me again soon and that he loved me. I tried to hold myself together as I listened to my boy tell me about his day and school and all that he had planned. Bogere is speaking english so much better. I am so proud of him. Our conversation was in both english and swahili...it was a nice mixture of the two languages and we communicated perfectly.

   As far as the baby's home is concerned, we still needs more funds. We are slowly but surely reaching our goal but there are babies NOW that are waiting to come into City of Lights Baby Home. We still need, roughly, $25,000 for TOTAL COMPLETION. That means EVERYTHING, including cribs, bottles, formula, diapers, etc. With that number, we will have a completed baby home where babies can be rescued, loved, cherished and shown what the love of Jesus looks like. If you want to rescue a baby and save a life, go to www.smileafrica.org. Please just give what you can. Every amount matters toward reaching the goal.

"Thank you Jesus for blessing us. We have been blessed to be a blessing. I pray, God, that you will open our hearts to your Holy Spirit. I pray that you will speak to us clearly and guide our steps. Protect us and keep us safe as we live of lives for you! We love you! Amen."

 

My First Month Home

   To be totally honest I did not know what my first month back in Los Angeles, California was going to look like. I was a little nervous to be going home. I was excited that I was going to be seeing my family and my friends, but I was afraid. I was afraid that I would no longer have anything in common with my closest friends. My first 2 weeks back in Hollywood were pretty good though. It was just a time to readjust and visit with the people that I had missed the most.

   After my first 2 weeks back, things went a little down hill. I had become used to waking up every morning to over 400 children relying on me. I woke up everyday with one purpose and one purpose only...to love and care for the orphans that God had put in my path. I had basically become a mother to these babies that I had looked after for so long. There was a sadness that had overtaken me at some points during the day. Often times I could not get Bogere, the little boy I looked after, out of my head. All I wanted to do was hold him. I knew that God had called me there for a season, and then I was supposed to come back to Los Angeles with the same heart and attitude I had obtained while I was in Africa. God never told me it was going to be easy.

   There have moments when I would get frustrated at the spoiled, ungrateful, lifestyle that some people live. I would become overwhelmed at the drama that some people chose to get involved in. How do you go from literally dealing with life or death to dealing with petty drama? That was one thing that began to separate me from the people that I love the most. Even in those moments when I began to live in frustration, God was there. God didn't just call me to love the orphans, but EVERYONE. The more God spoke to me, the more my heart softened. Then I realized something...I'm no better than the people who choose to deal with the petty drama. Instead of being bitter or frustrated...I should choose to live differently...BE HAPPY. If I chose to stay in my frustrated state of mind, I would have been no different from the people who live bitter lives.

   I am sorry if I have shown anyone any bitterness or frustration, there is no excuse for that. I am going to be honest, I miss my Bogere more than words can describe, but I know I will see him again soon. I saw what I saw and experienced what I experienced so that I could be apart of the positive change that God is doing in MY country. If I would have chosen to not change my attitude then I would have missed all that God was doing in the lives of the people around me. I am choosing to live with a positive attitude. I have seen what God can do with prayer and a little faith. Los Angeles is MY city. I have faith in MY city. Watch out Los Angeles, God is about to move in a might way...get ready!