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Mwenayo balebe (greetings everyone)! I am baffled by how another month has gone by. I hope that this email is finding you filled with joy, time with loved ones, learning and lessons from God. Before I get into my update, I just want to say how sincerely grateful I am for you all. We have been praying a lot here at M:MM for our supporters, and I just wanted to give you a shout-out. It means a lot to have so many praying for me and supporting me with encouragement. What a blessing and great reminder for me about the body of Christ. I’m grateful for such a strong body around me. I love getting responses to these emails with updates and stories about how you all are doing. So please keep sending those!

June has been a very full and busy month! A team of two girls, Mickey and Megan, came from my home church-Hope Community-for a few weeks. I was so blessed to have them here with me, and honored to be their leader. They fit right in here with the staff and were a big blessing to the ministry. Thank you to those that were praying for our time! We spent several days facilitating a workshop on purposeful living, with main lessons from Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life.”  It was a great lesson and reminder about how we are created to honor God, and should do that with every part of our lives. I also taught about STD’s, which is very needed, not only due to their high incidence but also because parents don’t  talk with their children about sex and so youth are susceptible to these diseases. I am praying that the adults that were at the workshops will talk with the youth they know and that it was a blessing to them as well. I loved facilitating these workshops. It is so neat how God changes us. I used to HATE being in front of people, and had almost zero confidence.  But since being here, I am growing and LOVED facilitating-hearing testimonies, sharing knowledge and giving what I know so that others may benefit. It was a sweet affirmation that the Lord has me where I am meant to be.I know that I am not “finished” but am grateful for the work that has been done in me, and continue praying for the Lord to shape me such that I can be a blessing to others. I have also done two smaller trainings on family planning (birth control methods) in a newer area we are working in, Bukhalu.  I am so glad to be able to use my nursing knowledge, and am looking forward to being further stretched and pray that I may teach the right things.

This month I have been amazed at how quickly relationships can grow and thrive, and how God brings people together at the right time.  I have shared much learning and laughter with my team from Hope, and also a team from the Navigators in the US. Praise be to God for friendships!

My team also did a home stay in Muyembe, a community that M:MM has worked in since the 90’s, and has phased out in-meaning we only visit quarterly.  Those that M:MM trained in Muyembe have now gone to a new community, Namatiti, where they are teaching the Discipling for Development principles.  I was able to visit Namatiti last week, and was moved by how God has worked and created spiritual generations and how much people’s lives have changed. People are empowered so that they may reach their potential.  Of course there are still challenges, but people are able to remember how the Lord has been with them, and trust that He will continue to be with them. I have been so challenged by this. I have been blown away time and again by how hospitable people are here, and hope to implement that in my life.

Something that I have been thinking a lot about this month is “what is home?” What makes something home? I don't say this because I’m always thinking about my home in Minnesota (although I do get very homesick for my family and friends!!!) but because I feel so at home here. Can a person have two homes? I have been reflecting on what makes me “me”-what is Sydney and what is just from my culture, and is there a difference?  I am wondering what else I can implement here in Uganda that would make me feel even more at home (I think I’m going to buy a bike!).  I am grateful for feeling so at home, but it has been confusing as well when trying to think about the future.  Well, I learned something  this last week that really touched me. I have been going by Namarome (meaning “land”) for the last 4+ months, but this week my coworker John said, “Namarome, it means someone that has gone through trials.” I asked him that didn’t it just mean “working the land” and he said that the root, “lirome” means “can be planted and grow anywhere.”  I started tearing up at this, and marveled at how God times things.  Just when I needed that encouragement, on a random Tuesday, He tells me something I needed to hear.  I can grow anywhere, as long as I am seeking Him and what He has for me, wherever that is. It also reminded me how Christ is the one that remains constant, despite any changes or trials in my life, and is the same in Minnesota and Uganda.

I wish you much grace and peace, wherever you are reading this from.

Wele apuwe tsikhabi (God bless you all).

Sydney Namarome Liesch.

Prayer requests-
-For transition-my other half here, Shannon is leaving  for Mukono, another city in Uganda. Pray for me as I will be standing on my own again; pray for self-assurance. Pray for Shannon as well, as she will be leading her team at a university, working with the Navigators and doing evangelism. Pray for continued growth in other relationships and continuation of friendship with Shannon, including with another intern here, named Miran
-For the M:MM staff- there continues to be much illness and vehicle breakdowns. Pray against this spirit from the enemy and for provision of good health and working vehicles
-Pray for clarity about the future and what God has in store for me and that I can continue to learn and grow in my relationship with Him during my time here
-Pray for relationships with loved ones back home, it can be hard being away from people during both happy and hard times

-Facilitating the workshop in Busiu, alongside my friend and coworker Aidah. 

A selfie with Mickey and Megan from Hope. I am so glad that we can remain united in Christ’s spirit! 

First time hiking in a skirt! Can you spot the back sweat? ;) We went hiking in Muyembe, to the top of this beautiful hill. As we looked out my coworker asked us by looking at the view, which area we thought was more developed. There was an area that had nice houses, more trees and more crops growing. But he said that people in that area are thieves, and even though things look good on the outside, the hearts of these people are hard, and haven’t really been developed.  Another reminder how development has to start at the heart, and takes years because people have adopted their world view very early in life 

-This is the group of pastors and church leaders from Busiu. We were so challenged and encouraged by their testimonies and insights, and I have loved getting to know them. I think more than half of them asked me to come home with them, and I hope I can see where they are from!

My team and I got to explore the beauty of creation in Sipi Falls, and I loved hiking and seeing practically how the creation declares the glory of God