Thursday, February 15, 2007

Something to make you smile!

My friend Katie teaches the second grade class at Missoula Valley Church. They have been talking about encouragement(one of my favorite subjects!)

Last night I got a few cards from some of the girls. Here is what some of them said...

"Lana, I'm sorry your cousin dide"
"Lana, I'm sad your cousin died, my grampa died."
and my favorite...
"Lana, I'm sorry your cousin died, my bunny died."

One of the boys wrote to our Preacher, Donny. His card read...
"Donny, thanks for being our Priest."
Isn't that great!
I'm thankful for the encouraging kids in Missoula!

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

My life song

My life song recently has been, I will Praise You in this Storm, by Casting Crowns. I love the words to this song. Giving God the praise and glory even when things are a mess.

I was talking to a friend the other day about my storm. If you heard about everything that was going on you would think that I was a high maintance drama queen. I'm just hoping that God's plan is to make me really strong. Cause if that is His plan, then watch out Satan.

I say that song is my life song because of hard times. And I pray that it is what others see. I pray that I can give God praise in the midst of this storm.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

I feel like my life has been in super fast motion since I have been back from Uganda. Almost two weeks ago I was in Jinja waiting for Adam to get back from buying coffee so that I could tell him about the awesome day I had just had. But Adam didn't come back.
It was about 7:30 or 8:00pm and Ben, Kym, Eli, the Bogles, and I were visiting at the Langfords house when we got the call. Adam and Moses, a Ugandan friend had been in an accident. But that is about all we knew. I had no idea that the next few hours I would spend driving to Kapchurua to find Adam and Moses, only to find that both had died. It felt like a bad dream, or like something you would see in the movies, but it definiately did not feel like reality. I couldn't believe that either of them were dead, I had just spent the last 3 weeks with Adam and had gotten to know Moses.
Coming back to the states was fast and unexpected. I couldn't wait to see friends and family but was sad to have to come back so soon. I arrived in Missoula to a great group of friends and spent the next day getting ready to go to OKC for the funeral. It seemed like from the moment I set foot in the US I felt the love of so many of you. I had calls from many friends, old and new. I had e-mails from many caring people from the states and from Uganda. Adam touched so many lives and it was easy to see.
Adam and I had many great talks while I was staying with him in Jinja. I was so proud of him. I got to see a side of him that was different then usual. Adam is a very funny person, and any time I knew that he was around I also knew that it would be fun. But in Jinja I saw an extremely caring side of Adam. Adam didn't have too but he was always watching out for me. He knew that I could take care of myself over there but still was always looking out for me. I have great memories of Adam in Uganda. One of my favorite is being stuck in a hotel in Kenya(because of car problems). The Bogles, Adam and I were reading out of the 'hotel Bible'. In the front it had John 3:16 in 15 different languages. We all read a different language and laughed so hard that night. That was my cousin, always laughing in the midst of a hard situation.
The funeral was held on this past Wednesday. I had never been to anything like it. There were so many people there who knew Adam in some way. It was great to be with my family and with the Jinja team.
I am in Flordia now and will go back to Missoula at the end of this week. Thank you for the prayers and support you have shown me and my family in the last couple of weeks.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Right now Mo is a girly,
girl and thats totally
ok with me! Posted by Picasa
Eli sings Twinkle, Twinkle
to little Mo Posted by Picasa
Lana, Eli, cow, and pig. Posted by Picasa
Eli with a Edible Fruit
Bouquet from a friend of
the family Posted by Picasa
Just some of the family
that came for the funeral.
some had already left. Posted by Picasa
Leta, Lana, and Eli.
We are the cutest ones
in the family Posted by Picasa
Pallbearers at the
gravesite. Posted by Picasa
Me and my cute
niece, Morgandy Skye Posted by Picasa
Jonny helping dig
Adam's grave. Posted by Picasa
Back home in Missoula
for one day. We have a
new member to the
Partain house. Posted by Picasa
Here we go down,
Bujagali falls Posted by Picasa
Eli eating blue chalk...
Yum! Posted by Picasa
Ben and I came upon this
road block, don't worry
we made it through! Posted by Picasa
Can you find me? I
blend in pretty well. Posted by Picasa
Ben and I visiting a
village. Posted by Picasa
Adam on the train.
I'm so glad I have this
one! Posted by Picasa
The start of our 17 hour
train ride from Mombassa
to Nairobi Posted by Picasa