Saying Goodbye

The hardest part about leaving a place is saying goodbye to the people you've met while there! This week we've said a lot of goodbyes.

Drew's last day of work - saying goodbye to colleagues.

He's going to miss these people!

Saying goodbye to Byron.

Farewell dinner at Cafe Javas!

Saying goodbye to Shiphrah!

Eloise had fun crawling on the table from person to person!

Enjoying chocolate fudge cake (the manager gave it to Isaiah for free because he touched it on the shelf! Whoops! )

Goodbye dear friends!

Saying goodbye to Juliet, Drew's awesome boss and friend!

Saying goodbye to Beej.

More goodbyes!

Saying goodbye to Shiphrah and Wendy.

What makes saying goodbye even harder this time is that now we have an almost 3 year old who thinks of Uganda as home and his friends here as some of the most important people on earth. When he says goodbye this Monday he's not going to realize that it's for the last time ever. But I know that once we're back in the States he's going to be asking for his friends here and the reality will sink in. :(

Isaiah is going to have the hardest time saying goodbye to our house helper, Suzy! For the last year she's spent every day of the week (except weekends) in our home, doing the housework and cooking, but also spending alot of time with the kids. Both Isaiah and Eloise ADORE her! They both call her "chu chu", give her lots of hugs and kisses, and miss her when she's gone for the evening.

Suzy has been a wonderful blessing in our home and we will miss her also!!

Goodbye Suzy!

Goodbye kisses from Isaiah.

Goodbye hugs from Eloise.

Saying goodbye to one of our neighbors. These boys have lots of fun together!!

2 Hours of Silence, 22 Days Until We Leave Uganda

This past weekend I went with the ladies from my Bible study on a weekend getaway! We went to a beautiful island in the middle of Lake Victoria. After an hour and 15 minute boat ride on the choppy waves, we finally reached the gorgeous island (completely drenched and happy to be on dry land again!). What a fantastic view.

We had a great weekend talking, laughing, eating way too much (the food was AMAZING!), playing games, swimming, and taking walks. It was so much fun!

On Sunday morning we all went our separate ways to spend about two hours alone in silence and solitude. This was the hardest part of the weekend for me. For those of you who know what’s going on in our lives right now you know we are so busy! We are preparing to leave Uganda in only 22 days and there are LOTS of things to be done. We also have many uncertainties in our lives right now. We haven’t even purchased our on hold plane tickets to come home yet because we are still waiting on Eloise’s visa (although we have been assured we will get it soon…let’s hope!). We are moving to Boston in the fall but still have not found a place to live and Drew still doesn’t have a job. We are stepping out on faith. We trust in the Lord’s faithfulness, but oh how hard situations like these are on the heart and mind!

During my 2 hours of solitude on the island, I was supposed to spend about 30 minutes doing and thinking NOTHING…just letting God speak to and move me. I tried my hardest but it was nearly impossible to do! I kept thinking of every thing I have to do. Buy plane tickets. Pack. Post list of for sale items. Pack. Write Suzy’s letter of recommendation. Pack. Prepare for the ARA sale. Pack. Respond to 50 e-mails. Pack. Buy gifts to bring back. Pack. The list goes on and on…

As hard as it was to do, being still and silent was a good exercise for me in this busy time of life. As I sat and tried my best to slow my mind down, the Lord reminded me of this: “Even when I stop, God does NOT stop. He can accomplish His will even without my help!” The whole world did not self destruct just because I took a few hours to not think about or do what I need to do. Whoda thunk it?!?

Our solitude study guide had this quote from Dallas Willard in it: “And ‘doing nothing’ has many other advantages… possibly the gentle Father in the heavens would draw nigh if we would just be quiet and rest a bit. Generally speaking, He will not compete for our attention, and as long as we are ‘in charge’ he is liable to keep a certain distance.”

My prayer that day was (and still is) that God would slow down my mind so that I can accomplish HIS will through me today and every day to come!

Packing, Prayer, & Future Plans

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Update from Drew and Amber Hutcheson Serving with International Justice Mission Kampala, Uganda

From Uganda to Boston: Hello Grad-School, Here We Come! Living in Uganda for this past year has been amazing. It’s been eye-opening, thrilling, and adventurous. At the same time, it’s been home. The friendships we’ve formed, the family we have here, and the experiences we’ve encountered all have made Uganda a place in which we truly feel comfortable. Our work with International Justice Mission has been stretching and fulfilling. We’re going to miss being here. Needless to say, it’s hard to even think about leaving. Nevertheless, the time is coming for us to board another plane and head back to the states. This chapter of our lives in ending... but another is about to begin! We leave Uganda in less than a month, flying out on May 28th and arriving in Florida on May 29th. We will be in Jacksonville for two weeks, after which time we will head to Michigan to spend the remainder of the summer there. Ultimately, however, our final destination is Boston, Massachusetts! Drew will be attending Harvard University (which is in Cambridge) for his masters degree. He will be going to receive his masters in business management with an emphasis in finance. These are exciting times and Drew is eager to be back in the classroom. While we look forward to this next adventure, we also realize as with any new adventure, there comes its own unique challenges. Would you join us in praying about the following? Prayer

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• That we would finish our time in Uganda well! We still have much packing to do, Drew has to finish up at IJM, and we still have many other things that need to fall into place before we can leave
• That transitioning back to the states will go well for both us and the kids
• Moving to Boston and that our finances will carry us through
• That Drew would be able to find a good job in Boston that will work well with his school schedule

And please PRAISE the Lord with us:

Praise

• We were able to obtain Eloise's passport and her U.S. visa is in process!
• We have found buyers for most of our furniture and appliances, as well as our car! A huge relief!
• That the Lord is faithful and is upholding us during this time of transition. So thankful for His peace!

We would like to mention that upon our return to the States we are looking to purchase a mid size SUV or minivan. If you are selling one or know of someone who is, please let us know!

Be on the lookout for one more paper newsletter with a special gift from Uganda in it once we get settled back in the U.S.

Thanks for walking this journey with us. We have been overwhelmed by your love for and support of us during our time in Uganda. You have helped make a difference for the vulnerable and oppressed here! THANK YOU!

In Christ's Love,

Drew, Amber, Isaiah, & Eloise

http://WWW.TheHutchesonHeadline.blogspot.com

A "boda boda" is how Amber gets to all the appointments she has had to go to in order to get Eloise her visa and passport. Boda bodas are all over Uganda. You flag one down and pay them to take you to your destination! Isaiah and Eloise in their Ugandan attire!

Working on the paper work to get Eloise's visa. Adoption requires SO. MUCH. PAPERWORK! The sorting, selling, and packing has begun!

Copyright © 2012 International Justice Mission, All rights reserved. You are receiving these e-mails because we think you may be interested in keeping up with our work in Uganda with IJM! If you wish to unsubscribe please see the link below. Our mailing address is: International Justice Mission Drew Hutcheson P.O. Box 70445 Kampala, Uganda Visit our blog at: www.thehutchesonheadline.blogspot.com Call us: 231-709-9633 E-mail us: Drewamhutch@gmail.com www.ijm.org   *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences