Am I Done Yet?

The finish line is in sight, but the frustration is building. The papers keep piling up. The reading assignments never seem to get completed on time. That's right. It's my last semester of grad school, and the only thing that preserves my sanity is the knowledge that one day I will yearn for hours of time dedicated to reading. I will miss the days of learning and debating and taking lecture notes. I can barely conceive of such mad ideas right now, in the middle of my last semester at Duke, but I am certain that in time I will miss the discipline of studying. You would think that this understanding would settle me down, but no! I still feel restless for Uganda. Restless to return. Restless to dive into the work that waits for me there. Restless to pack and unpack, to get settled and see the people I love, to hug kids that I have been longing to hold for these past 9 months.

My time is coming, but my patience is waning. Still God's steadfast love and goodness never seems to fade. I began fundraising my salary for Uganda during the horrific economic crisis that continues to plague our country. I worried about it. I prayed and bargained with God. I made demands. I pouted. And then someone said to me, "Alisha, God has called you to this work. God will provide for you to do it. And in this journey you must learn what it looks like to need the church." Being the one in need has never been something I have done well, but God reminds me daily that this calling is one that demands I surrender my "I can do it all" mentality. It is the anonymous donations and committed friends and faithful folks that make this ministry possible. Every donation is a reminder of my need for the body of Christ. So, thank you for flooding my life with words of affirmation, money to make this happen and prayers to sustain my spirit throughout this wild ride!

For those of you who are still interested in partnering with us to do the work of equipping and teaching children as well as pastors in Uganda, there is still time to join us. What do I need? Well, I am still looking for 7 folks to join my TOP 40! ($25 a month for 2 years=$600). This is my most pressing need to make sure that my salary is covered for the two years. Still, I am very aware that a commitment like that is not possible for everyone. All one time donations are welcome. I am grouping them together in $600 intervals to fill TOP 40! slots. Already, two TOP 40! slots have been added because of one time donations. There is no contribution too small. Just click the DONATE to AOL link to the right and submit a donation online or contact me if you're interested in joining my Top 40!

I'm sure I have a paper to write or a book to read, but I think I'm going to bed early instead. Try and stop me!

This is Alisha on location in Durham, NC... almost asleep on the couch. Goodnight.