The Book 0f Jasmine

Wow I can't believe my time in Uganda is quickly coming to an end. As I look back over these past 3 months, I am at lost of words and in awe of who God is. This experience has definitely increased my faith and trust in God. I have grown so much, gained so much knowledge, was definitely challenged but I am leaving with a new mindset, eyes wide open and have truly been forever blessed and impacted by this entire experience. I am definitely not the same Jasmine that came to Uganda in June and I see the transformation as I read my journal entries. I now know clearer the plans that God has for me, discovered true purpose and have so much joy 🤗 There have been so many phenomenal experiences! I wrote about many of them in previous blogs but here are just a few highlights: One of my goals was to meet people of other nationalities and I have gained so many lifelong friends and places to visit around the world. Gained 2 Godchildren and decided to sponsor a baby (that is my shad...

This past Sunday God blessed me to gain another Godchild!! This time it is a sweet little girl who turned 1 today! She just arrived at Watoto a little over 2 weeks ago and the first time I saw her I knew there was a special connection between us but she definitely did not feel the same way lol She instantly cried when I touched her arm or even came close to her.  When I found out that I was going to be a Godmother again, I was ecstatic and humbled. Especially when I found out that it was going to be this sweet little girl that I was drawn to the first day I met her. Knowing that she is so new, very sensitive and never had been to church, I had no idea what was going to happen. So I went to see my Goddaughter on that Wednesday and she was not having it. She screamed the entire time that I was holding her. So I prayed.  I saw her on Friday and at first she cried but she eventually let me hold her and when I put her down she looked up at me and gave me a big smile 😍 Th...

I can truly say coming to Uganda has been one of the best decisions I have made thus far in life! God is sooooo good! I am having the time of my life! I am so glad I listened to that still small voice, left everything behind and went to where I was called. So much has been revealed, I have grown tremendously and God is continuing to show me His plans for me. Now I know exactly what I want to do but I'll share that at a later time. Just please pray that God will open the door that He wants me to walk through when I return back to America. Just a few updates of what's been going on since my last post: On Thursday the 17th we (the volunteers) had the pleasure of taking the big toddlers on a field trip to the zoo with the nannies! To see the animals from their point of view was simply miraculous! I had 2 girls that I was in charge of and they were absolutely the best. They were so calm and collective and they really enjoyed all the animals. So pleased that Watoto giv...

"T hen Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children." Luke 18:16 Wow I cant believe it is the half way mark of me being in Uganda! These definitely have been the best weeks of the year so far and some of the best weeks of my life! God is truly faithful and I know that God has definitely placed me here for such a time as this 😊 Just thinking about going back home brings me to tears, so I'm going to try to stay in the present time lol So much has transpired over this last month and a half and the biggest impact for me is seeing how the children have developed. One girl that Baby Watoto rescued about 2 weeks ago was very shy and didnt say anything or smile when she came. I always would talk to her and try to interact with her but she would just stare at me. Well this week I saw her and she was laughing, having fun and interac...

Wow, can you believe yesterday made 4 weeks of being in Uganda? Me either 😮 This has been a mind blowing experience already! It's so surreal that I am living in answered prayers. So thankful that God still hears and answers prayers at the perfect time 😌 When I first got here it felt like I had been here forever, even though I was just a few days in. Now looking back over the month, time is really flying ☹️ I'm not going to make this post long but fun!  I am so glad that I went on a couple of short term mission trips (especially to India) before I came to Uganda because it was definitely a smooth transition. I came with an open mind but these are just a few things that I have found interesting so far! The only real culture shock that I have experienced was going to the grocery store and seeing the eggs and butter sitting on the shelves next to the canned items and not in the fridge section. I was definitely hesitant to buy it at first but once I talked to th...

So today was the 1st day that I did absolutely nothing since arriving in Uganda 3 weeks ago and this day of rest and relaxation was great and definitely needed. Since my last blog I started my new schedule and worked 9 days straight with just 1 day off waking up at 5am and not getting back until around 7pm each night but God is good! It is the reason why I am here and I can truly say that this experience so far has been so fulfilling 😀 In my first post that I wrote from Uganda I briefly gave you an overview of Watoto's Baby Homes and Children Villages but in this post I am going to break it down a little more.  Watoto opened their Baby Home back in 2007 even though the Children Vilages started in 1994. Watoto's mission is to "rescue, raise and rebuild". Baby Watoto is not an orphanage but a home where each baby is loved and taken care of concerning their every need. Watoto really encourages attachment, consistency and wants each baby to experience the normal...

Well another week has passed and I am still loving Uganda! These last 2 weeks have been a nonstop exciting journey; with work and exploring this beautiful country of Uganda! Over the past week there have been quite a few changes. I will list them below then share a few pictures of my journey so far. S/N: There will be no pictures of the babies yet because I have to get them approved first before I can post them. So I finally moved to my permanent room in the wing that they have exclusively for the volunteers. I still have my own room but I really enjoy it now because I am right next to the common area where everybody congregates but still can get away and chill. This new room is smaller but it is brighter and cozier. So it feels more like a bedroom than a dungeon lol Plus I was able to unpack and set out items that reminded me of home. Oh I did spot a small lizard on my ceiling one night. Guess that was my welcome present 💁🏽 Our supervisor at the Baby Home came back from Ho...

Hello family and friends! I cant believe tomorrow will make a week since I departed for Uganda 😀 It feels like I have been here for a few weeks already lol I thought I would have posted something by now but with the 7 hour time difference and 13 hour work days, I am still trying to get my body on a schedule! There has been so much that I have experienced so far, so I am just going to break each section down and give a few highlights!  Packing : My plan was to pack everything 2 weeks before I departed so that I wouldn't be up all night the night before and of course that didn't happen 😔 Wound up packing all night and only had 2 hours of sleep. People kept asking me how do you pack for 3 months? I had no idea but I managed to pack everything while eliminating some things. I packed a suitcase for clothes and then a dedicated "Walmart" suitcase (I call it) with basically everything from foil to cutlery.  Departure : I guess since I was so excited ...

Wow! It’s so surreal to me that in less than 3 days I will be in Uganda! This is nothing but God because I had no desire to go to Africa but I believe that is where God is calling me. He has an assignment for me and I had to obey. So I go in excitement and anticipation because I know that this is all God!! People keep asking me if I am afraid but I really am not afraid because I know God is leading me. I am excited and expectant to see God move. I have such a peace even though there are uncertainties like how are my bills going to get paid, what I will do when I get back, etc. But I know God is in control, He is ordering my steps, He has everything aligned and I will continue to give Him the glory because I know that He is in the midst of it all. So as I continue to “walk by faith and not by sight”, I encourage you to do the same! I know there are desires that God has placed in your heart and dreams that you think are too big but NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING shall be impossi...