Why do bad things happen?

Well, this is my first post from my second trip to Uganda. I know that most of you are expecting something about how I'm doing, and what I'm doing, but the Lord has put something on my heart more important than that.

"As He went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'
'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"- John 9:1-3

Last night a huge storm rolled through, and I had left my Bible open to John 1 before I went to sleep. When I woke up it was at John 9 and thought that there was some reason that the wind had blown it to that chapter, so I read it. And boy, was I blown away by what I saw.

Verse 1 starts out saying that the man was "blind from birth." Why is that so significant? Well, according to the Pharisees there were 3 miracles that the Messiah would perform that were impossible for anyone else. Healing a man that was blind from birth was one of those three. Then it says His disciples asked did the man or his parent's sin make him blind. I'm sitting here thinking why in the world would they ask a question like that. The Pharisees had taught the people that a child would be punished by the parent's sin because they interpreted verses like Numbers 14:18 ("The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.") the wrong way. What God is saying is that He will punish the whole nation of Israel for the sins of their forefathers, not just individuals. Then Jesus comes back with this amazing answer that stuns everyone. The man had been born blind for that very moment when Jesus would heal him and everyone would see God at work.

I feel like a very common question among believers is why does God let bad things happen? I have often asked this question myself. I vividly remember asking myself that question while walking through the slums of Kampala earlier this summer. Even here in Gulu, people are in tough situations. At home, some of my best friends are struggling with things wondering why God is "letting" it happen. I used to struggle with a lot of things and often asked myself, "Well if God is really there, why is He letting me struggle with all of this? I mean, couldn't He just stop it if He really wanted to?" The answer to this question is made very obvious with the reading of this passage. Bad things happen so that God may be glorified through those situations.

I can look back on my life and definitely say that this is true. Heck, I can go out and look in the village and say that this is true. Yeah, some people are in rough places, but in the end God will be glorified. May this be true in your life, as well as mine. God bless.

Tomorrow is the day!

Well folks, tomorrow is the day that I leave for Uganda! I am super excited and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me. But before I leave (and while I'm gone) I want to ask you guys to pray for and with me. Here are some things y'all can be praying for:

1. My family and I- This is going to be hard for me and my family. It is the longest we have ever been away from each other. Just pray that the Lord would show us that this is His will and that we are supposed to submit to that.
2. Safe travels
3. Psalm 25:4-5- This is one of my favorite Bible verses and I pray it at least once a day. Just pray that the Lord would show me His ways and teach me His paths.
4. Ephesians 6:19-20- Pray that God would give me words to speak so that the Gospel will be made known through me.
5. Pray that the Lord will love people through me, because I sure as heck can't do it on my own.

Thanks guys! That's all I have right now, but there will be more coming soon.

Camp Hand