I've been MIA, I know. Forgive me.. prepping for Africa is like packing up everything you own and moving to a far away strange place. Or, at least that's what it feels like.
The past few weeks have been insane. Busy. Too busy. We've prepared our home, our plants, packed our bags, tied up loose ends at work but I feel like I haven't prepared myself. It still seems so surreal and I'm pretty sure I will wake up tomorrow, go to the airport and halfway there... realize I'm going to another country. But tonight has been awesome. Despite my busy schedule and restless heart, God provided exactly what I needed. Support, love, prayers. So thankful that even when I'm putting God on the back burner, I'm never on His back burner. He is in all the details and always provides. Me of little faith, how is it that I always underestimate His power, His glory. When I feel discouraged and unprepared, He fills me with complete peace through my mom's prayers and surrounds me with a group of amazing women to lift me up, pray for me and send me off with encouraging words to read each day while I'm there (ps.. they rock). All a reminder of my need for Jesus.
Speaking of Jesus, we're going to be sharing our stories with the women of Watoto and encouraging them to share their stories. To see the glory of God in even the darkest of places. Because it is through our stories that we can bring glory to God. It's insane to think of where I was.. who I was before Christ and who I am now through Christ. Still messy and full of mistakes but unshackled and worthy. Here's a little bit of my story...
Celeste's Story from Hope Community Church on Vimeo.
If you want to follow us while we're in Africa, you can follow Hope's blog here: http://blog.gethope.net/globalhope
Or Facebook it, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Hope/478107322253204?ref=hl
See ya when we get back!
4.02.2013
3.09.2013
25 days
25 days until we board the plane to head to Africa. Ahhh! I can't believe it. It is here. reality. really happening. Not just like a thought, an idea, nope.. real life.
Pinch me please. And.. again. As much as it's sunk in, it hasn't. Catch my drift?
OK to so date...
we've gotten our shots ( you heard my weirdo story there)
we've started packing things we think would be useful for the trip
- quick dry underwear (for me) and socks (for him)
- mosquito repellent. We had JustNeem repellent (the best stuff), which is for our skin, and Sawyer Permethrin spray for our clothes. Mosquito love Mike. He can't walk out to check the weather without getting bit. It's bad so we're going a little overboard to try and protect him from being miserable and itchy.
- head lamps (the power goes off after a certain time or isn't too reliable at times)... kudos for registering for these guys when we got married!
- quick dry towel
- travel size toiletries
- sunscreen.. Badger all the way
- journal and Bible
- meds... We have Malaria pills, stomach issue meds, aspririn... do we need Dramamine?
we're trying to figure out what we need to buy or other things that would be useful:
- quick, packaged snacks (mostly for Mike since he'll be doing a lot of hard labor and dinner won't happen until late... like 8 or 9)
- long skirts/dresses... why do I only own ONE!? I can't find one for the life of me now.
- shoes .... thoughts? Anyone know what would be best to take. I heard flipflops were considered house shoes
I'm lost when it comes to what we need. Any of you that have been to Africa, what type of clothing/shoes did you find most useful/comfortable? For travelers, what are your go-to, cant-travel-without items?
we still have a little bit of support left to raise and thank you notes to write (or in this case... put addresses on and SEND!) When we started this journey, in my mind I thought we'd be paying for most of it. Oh, me of little faith. The whole money part of it almost destroyed the trip. I was so overwhelmed by the cost, where the funds would come from, etc. I took God out of the picture and basically decided He couldn't provide for this. Oh boy, was I wrong. God provided quicker and more than I ever thought. He brought forward support from all over the place. It was incredible. I still can't even think about it without tearing up. It's been extremely amazing to see how God works and that I can't even TRY to take control or credit for it. This has totally been a God thing. I can't even begin to thank those that have supported us, whether financially, emotionally or in prayer. It has seriously been extremely humbling and I am in awe of all our supporters, their hearts and how amazing our God is. We feel extremely loved and blessed! We love and thank yall!!
and a little packing inspiration...
Pinch me please. And.. again. As much as it's sunk in, it hasn't. Catch my drift?
OK to so date...
we've gotten our shots ( you heard my weirdo story there)
we've started packing things we think would be useful for the trip
- quick dry underwear (for me) and socks (for him)
- mosquito repellent. We had JustNeem repellent (the best stuff), which is for our skin, and Sawyer Permethrin spray for our clothes. Mosquito love Mike. He can't walk out to check the weather without getting bit. It's bad so we're going a little overboard to try and protect him from being miserable and itchy.
- head lamps (the power goes off after a certain time or isn't too reliable at times)... kudos for registering for these guys when we got married!
- quick dry towel
- travel size toiletries
- sunscreen.. Badger all the way
- journal and Bible
- meds... We have Malaria pills, stomach issue meds, aspririn... do we need Dramamine?
we're trying to figure out what we need to buy or other things that would be useful:
- quick, packaged snacks (mostly for Mike since he'll be doing a lot of hard labor and dinner won't happen until late... like 8 or 9)
- long skirts/dresses... why do I only own ONE!? I can't find one for the life of me now.
- shoes .... thoughts? Anyone know what would be best to take. I heard flipflops were considered house shoes
I'm lost when it comes to what we need. Any of you that have been to Africa, what type of clothing/shoes did you find most useful/comfortable? For travelers, what are your go-to, cant-travel-without items?
we still have a little bit of support left to raise and thank you notes to write (or in this case... put addresses on and SEND!) When we started this journey, in my mind I thought we'd be paying for most of it. Oh, me of little faith. The whole money part of it almost destroyed the trip. I was so overwhelmed by the cost, where the funds would come from, etc. I took God out of the picture and basically decided He couldn't provide for this. Oh boy, was I wrong. God provided quicker and more than I ever thought. He brought forward support from all over the place. It was incredible. I still can't even think about it without tearing up. It's been extremely amazing to see how God works and that I can't even TRY to take control or credit for it. This has totally been a God thing. I can't even begin to thank those that have supported us, whether financially, emotionally or in prayer. It has seriously been extremely humbling and I am in awe of all our supporters, their hearts and how amazing our God is. We feel extremely loved and blessed! We love and thank yall!!
and a little packing inspiration...
3.07.2013
debt free and bald
We got rid of a lot of things last week... debt and Mike's hair!
When we got married, I had student loans out my wazoo, Mike had a new shiny car to pay off and we had a little bit of wedding debt (not a ton because of our generous parents but just a little). Our plan from day one was to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Debt looms over me. I feel enslaved to it, overwhelmed by it. Not healthy feelings. So it was important for us to set big goals and just get rid of it. And we did... 14 months later.
How we did it:
We started off small. We followed-ish Dave Ramsey's plan (pay off the smallest loans first). After the first loan was paid off, we got a little excited and started paying each loan off in full (or almost full) until they were all paid off. We lived off one person's salary for the past few months in order to put more money towards getting everything paid off. It was a sacrifice but we def weren't living off rice and beans ...more like kale and eggplant :). With each one paid off, we felt more momentum to get these loans gone and out of the way.Oddly enough, it was fun..well kind of.
Mike was the cutest. We decided to just bite the bullet and pay off the last of what was remaining instead of dragging it over into the next month. We were getting our weekly groceries and figured a celebration was in order... wine, cheese, dessert... you know, the whole shebang! As we indulged in our goodies, Mike made a toast... which started with, " I want to give a toast... let's high five!" Anyway, we're excited. Now on to more fun things and lots of money to spend ;)....right???
For the more amusing news... Mike went bald! His company supports St. Baldricks and called in a barber last Thursday to shave all the willing heads. Mike was one of them. For those of you that don't know Mike, Mike has had the SAME barber cut his hair since he was ten. He has branched out in the past few months but this was a big deal for him to do. Plus have you seen the dude's hair.. there's a ton of it! I was proud wifey. I went to watch (duh!) and almost freaked after the first swoop right through the middle. But it looked pretty good after it was all said and done.
It was really cool so see a group of men lined up to shave their heads in support of kids fighting cancer.. definitely warms the heart. And major kudos to his company and coworkers for putting it together and getting everyone involved.
Now for the baldy pics....
and one week later..
When we got married, I had student loans out my wazoo, Mike had a new shiny car to pay off and we had a little bit of wedding debt (not a ton because of our generous parents but just a little). Our plan from day one was to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Debt looms over me. I feel enslaved to it, overwhelmed by it. Not healthy feelings. So it was important for us to set big goals and just get rid of it. And we did... 14 months later.
How we did it:
We started off small. We followed-ish Dave Ramsey's plan (pay off the smallest loans first). After the first loan was paid off, we got a little excited and started paying each loan off in full (or almost full) until they were all paid off. We lived off one person's salary for the past few months in order to put more money towards getting everything paid off. It was a sacrifice but we def weren't living off rice and beans ...more like kale and eggplant :). With each one paid off, we felt more momentum to get these loans gone and out of the way.Oddly enough, it was fun..well kind of.
Mike was the cutest. We decided to just bite the bullet and pay off the last of what was remaining instead of dragging it over into the next month. We were getting our weekly groceries and figured a celebration was in order... wine, cheese, dessert... you know, the whole shebang! As we indulged in our goodies, Mike made a toast... which started with, " I want to give a toast... let's high five!" Anyway, we're excited. Now on to more fun things and lots of money to spend ;)....right???
For the more amusing news... Mike went bald! His company supports St. Baldricks and called in a barber last Thursday to shave all the willing heads. Mike was one of them. For those of you that don't know Mike, Mike has had the SAME barber cut his hair since he was ten. He has branched out in the past few months but this was a big deal for him to do. Plus have you seen the dude's hair.. there's a ton of it! I was proud wifey. I went to watch (duh!) and almost freaked after the first swoop right through the middle. But it looked pretty good after it was all said and done.
It was really cool so see a group of men lined up to shave their heads in support of kids fighting cancer.. definitely warms the heart. And major kudos to his company and coworkers for putting it together and getting everyone involved.
Now for the baldy pics....
before aka mop head
now you see why i freaked out a little inside.....
halfway there
almost there
done! me and my baldy man
the things I learned about having a husband with no hair... they need to be moisturized (whodathunkit?)
and one week later..
2.19.2013
6 weeks and counting
Today marks six weeks until we leave for Africa. I can't believe it. It seems like it's still so far away but I know the night before is going to creep up on us quickly.
We got one thing done since we last spoke. we got all our vaccines (ouch!). I don't know how kids get those things done. They hurt! My left arm was out of commission for like two days.
Oh and funny story during. I'm not afraid of needles (blood is another story) and don't mind shots. I sat down, talked about what I was getting, all that good stuff. The nurse comes back in to give me my shots, gives them to me and then afterwards I start to feel faint and super dizzy like I was going to pass out. I was so confused. I mean, she was already done with the whole process... why pass out now? I must have looked a mess cause she went to get me a juice box (now I know how kids endure it.. those things are so yummy). I drank the whole thing in like 2 seconds flat and felt better instantly. I get up to leave and there's a huge wet spot where I was sitting. I looked at the doctor in terror and said, "I swear I didn't pee my pants.. it was the juice box!" I guess when I poked in the straw it came out and fell perfectly between my legs. The nurse who gave me the shot wasn't in there so I'm pretty sure she thought I peed my pants. 25 and 'peeing my pants' at the doctor's office... embarrassing. I didn't actually.. I swear it really was the juice box but it felt like I had .
And of course, what's a post without a few fitting doctors office shots? Enjoy!
We got one thing done since we last spoke. we got all our vaccines (ouch!). I don't know how kids get those things done. They hurt! My left arm was out of commission for like two days.
Oh and funny story during. I'm not afraid of needles (blood is another story) and don't mind shots. I sat down, talked about what I was getting, all that good stuff. The nurse comes back in to give me my shots, gives them to me and then afterwards I start to feel faint and super dizzy like I was going to pass out. I was so confused. I mean, she was already done with the whole process... why pass out now? I must have looked a mess cause she went to get me a juice box (now I know how kids endure it.. those things are so yummy). I drank the whole thing in like 2 seconds flat and felt better instantly. I get up to leave and there's a huge wet spot where I was sitting. I looked at the doctor in terror and said, "I swear I didn't pee my pants.. it was the juice box!" I guess when I poked in the straw it came out and fell perfectly between my legs. The nurse who gave me the shot wasn't in there so I'm pretty sure she thought I peed my pants. 25 and 'peeing my pants' at the doctor's office... embarrassing. I didn't actually.. I swear it really was the juice box but it felt like I had .
And of course, what's a post without a few fitting doctors office shots? Enjoy!
2.10.2013
1.20.2013
all about watoto
What is Watoto?
Rescue. Raise. Rebuild. Rescue orphans. Raise them up to be Godly leaders. Rebuild Uganda THROUGH them. This is a God-sized mission. A mission that can't be done without God stepping in and showing His glory. It requires living by faith. And to hear their stories, to see the hope they have, is enough to rattle you and remind you, there is more to life than just 'me.'Watoto is an orphanage but unlike any that I know of. Watoto is home. The children aren't adopted. They live in a home with a mum (mom) and other orphans. They become a family. They learn what love is, what it means to be cared for. They go to school. They have responsibilities. They attend church. They are poured into, encouraged, prepared. This is the Watoto model.
The Watoto Choir just came to our church and it was so amazing to see how God has used this orphanage to turn their lives around. To hear of such broken pasts and see how God has restored them, all in their youth, humbles you (and ruins any makeup you may have been wearing that day). They are on fire for the Lord and know that it is only through Jesus. They know the power of grace.
Where is Watoto?
Watoto villages are located in Kampala and Gulu, Uganda. Uganda is located in East Africa, landlocked by Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Random factoid: Uganda was named one of National Geographics Best Trips for 2013
What will we be doing?
The women (that's me) are going to be visiting all three Watoto villages. We will spend two days in each village and serve the mums of the village. These women come from painful backgrounds and have overcome the darkness with the light, Jesus Christ. They've lost husbands, children, parents, siblings. They were left with nothing and were given a chance, a purpose. At Watoto they are there to build up this next generation of leaders. WOW! I freak out with the responsibility I feel over the group of girls I lead each week. And these women are leading a household of children to Christ and teaching them God's word. How amazing to see God use something so broken to make something so beautiful. We get the honor of showing them Christ's love, their worth, their beauty. We'll be there to encourage them, pamper them and make them feel like the beautiful brides of Christ that they are!As far as the husbands, they will be in Gulu building housing the whole time. I have to admit, this is the biggest fear I have. It makes me so nervous to be apart while we are over there. Totally freaks me out. I worry about his safety above all else. I guess I think if I can see him, I can keep him safe? But not only that, Mike makes me feel safe, secure, confident. If I'm with a bunch of strangers, in a new place, doing something new, having Mike around makes it so much easier. I feel at peace. He's definitely like my security blanket. It will be a huge me trusting God thing - being confident, secure and safe in Him... not something I am good at. I can already tell this trip is going to stretch me and teach me far beyond what I can imagine.
What to pray for this week?
a peaceful heartno anxiety
not to worry
safety while we are there
the leadership putting the final details together
for me to feel secure in Christ alone
... if you can't tell, anxiety and worry are my biggest enemies currently
What's next?
Our next meeting is Jan 30. After that, we only have two more meetings before our trip. As we get more details, I'll be sure to share them with you guys. As we get closer to the date, I'll post the day-by-day itinerary so that you guys can be praying for us each day.In the next two weeks we have to get all our shots. Any recommendations on whether or not to go to our regular doctors or just the basic health clinic? If there is a cheaper route, I prefer that one! I don't even know where to find my shot records.... I've never had to get shots to go out of country so any tips you have would be dandy!
We also have to finish raising support. Our total cost (for both of us) is $4,400. We hope to have all of this raised by 2/15. We've currently raised $400 and know that God will provide the rest. Anything that we raise over will still go the trip and help cover any other costs or allow us to do even more for them while we are over there! If you feel God leading you to support us financially for this trip, you can contribute here. Just make sure to check the "In memory/honor of" checkbox and in the First Name field, enter the traveler's FULL name (Celeste or Mike Arrigo). In the Last Name field, enter trip location and travel month (exe: Uganda, April 2013). You can also send checks to us if you have our address (just put in the memo that its for the trip so that we don't think you love us so much that you sent money for a shopping spree ;)... totally jk!)
We are so excited to have you guys be a part of our trip! As we prepare and get ready for the trip, it helps to know that we have a team behind us praying for us and supporting us. We can't wait to see what God has in store! Join us on our wild African journey! Oo.. I need some corny picture of us Photoshopped safari style (mom... this one's for you!)
Kwaheri (let's hope that appropriate)
My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)
1.15.2013
I need you..
Right after posting about going to Africa, I started feeling completely overwhelmed. Fears and questions were moving in and kicking out all the hope and courage that once resided. As fear started rolling in, it was so much easier to just let the anxiety take over and feel completely helpless. I couldn't seem to shake it. All lies. But how easy is it easy to fall into those lies? To believe them. To become them. Fearful. Helpless. But I'm not helpless and I shouldn't be afraid.
I went home to Shelbyville for a wedding party and on the way popped in a cd I had received when I visited Elevation Church in Charlotte over Christmas. The first song was exactly what I needed to hear. Exactly what I needed to be praying for. After about 486 plays, I surrendered. I may be weak but HIS spirit is strong in me. My flesh will fail but my God never will.
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You're shaping my life
All I am, I surrender
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you pierce through the dark
And cleanse every part of me
I may be weak
Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will
I went home to Shelbyville for a wedding party and on the way popped in a cd I had received when I visited Elevation Church in Charlotte over Christmas. The first song was exactly what I needed to hear. Exactly what I needed to be praying for. After about 486 plays, I surrendered. I may be weak but HIS spirit is strong in me. My flesh will fail but my God never will.
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You're shaping my life
All I am, I surrender
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you pierce through the dark
And cleanse every part of me
I may be weak
Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will
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