Easter Greetings, exuses and updates!

Well, I'm finally back on the blog, after malaria, recovery, returning to a full schedule and internet breakdowns. I'm completely recovered from the malaria (I'm not even perpetually tired anymore), and I was blessed during my whole time of illness with a comfort in God and the ministerings of Sadie. Life has definitely been full, and I have been finding a lot of joy in my times with God, fellowship with people and opportunities for service.
I hope that everybody's Easter was wonderful, special and restorative! It was my first Easter ever away from the commercial twist. I hardly saw any chocolate bunnies, and there were no shelves full of brightly colored baskets or egg die kits. It is every bit as much of a holiday here as in the States (the children get Good Friday off of school, as well as the following Monday), but the people here aren't as dependent on the "stuff" to make it a holiday. Anyhow, I really enjoyed my time with the Good Friday service (which was an amazing gathering of most of the Jinja missionaries), the Easter Sunrise Service, and the excellent fellowship surrounding that time.
With less than two months to go now, my mind is frantically turning back over all that has happened, then leaping forward to the idea of the end of the trip coming into view. I look forward to going home, but I don't look forward to leaving Uganda. It's an odd mix of enthusiasm about the future and enjoyment in the present, because I am completely content in both! I know, for whatever reason, that God has me here for this moment, and that I am to give him (and those around me) my best, but I am also excited to walk on into the new plans for the summer, as I return home, to find out what God has for me there.
When I originally came to Africa, one thing I was hoping for was that God would use this time to narrow down/clarify the specific plan for my life. Well, my impression of what God's eventual plan for me is has actually gown wider! Yeah, very unexpected. God has been showing me the challenges of cultural barriers, and the amazing length of time and effort that it takes to become truly effective to minister in another culture. In the middle of my speculation on my desires for travel and a better understanding of the international mission field, I realized that the culture I was learning the most about here in Uganda was my own. Stepping outside of your surroundings and way of life can reveal so much about that culture! I could be given a burden to travel and learn about other cultures simply to enable me to recognize my own culture and how best to minister to it. I'd really never thought of it before, and possibilities for God's plan for my life seem so endless now! Oddly, it doesn't bother me. It actually makes me excited, because I'm backing off from trying to "finish God's sentences" in regards to my future! I know enough to take the next step, but I'm letting Him plan the trip.