Ok so this was written in London but due to a faulty plug at the star bucks there it was never up loaded.
Greetings from London!
So far, so good. Praise Jesus. After saying our last goodbyes in Austin, we safely flew to Chicago, and after landing approximately an hour ago, here we are at the London/Heathrow airport. It is 1:30pm UK time. 7:30am US time.
We are all perfectly safe and sound. Mckenzie and Tj sat next to each other, cramped, for seven hours….while I stretched out onto the two vacant seats next to me. No pity. I told them I would share. You have to seize opportunities in life. Needless to say, I feel rested while I’m afraid my compadres are slightly sleep deprived. But they’re ok.
Oh…something interesting.
I think I always knew that we were different. That we sort of stuck out.
But now, I’m sure of it.
Everywhere we go, people can’t help but stop and stare. Maybe I’m exaggerating. Maybe you think I’m over exaggerating…. but trust me. Im not. It could be due to the fact that we sing everywhere we go. It might be because our joy can’t be capped and we are constantly making a scene with our obnoxious laughter. Perhaps it’s because we’re carrying guitars and so people have to make way for our wide load, lest they get smacked in the head…not to mention Mckenzie’s bag that continually waylays innocent bystanders every time she turns around. But the most realistic option, of course, is because we are constantly radiating beauty. No makeup, travel weary hair, and baggy clothes tend to intimidate even the most experienced of travelers. They’ve never seen anything like us.
The good news is that this airport has some wicked cool modern furnishings which will serve as an aesthetic aid for our “we have 8 hours till our next flight and nothing to do” music video.
Basically, fellow prayer warriors, things are going smoothly and according to plan. We are so blessed. Keep up the prayers……we still have to get through the Ugandan airport with all our luggage. Not to mention the remainder of our six month stay. But the Lord is Faithful!
When we took off on our first flight to Chicago, I was overcome with emotion and I felt extremely desperate. But the Lord directed me to Colossians ch. 3. It talks about putting on the new self. Setting your minds, to things above. And fear, I reminded, was not from above. It goes on to say: (vs. 14-17)
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hyms and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
YES! I love how-to’s like this in the word, so when I freak out, there’s direct instruction as to how God wants me to handle it.
Ok. This is kinda short, but short is good. There are plenty of stories ahead, I’m sure.
We love you all, tremendously, and remain amazed that God has got us this far. Getting there is half the battle. But not for our God.
Pray for our sustained stamina and continued optimistic attitudes, so that we are in high spirits when we enter Africa. First impressions are everything.
Don’t know when we’ll have access to internet again. But of course, when we do, we’ll keep you posted.
Peace be with all of you, and with us also.
In Christ,
TMW (THREE MIGHTY WOMEN) 2Samuel 23

Alrighty. Well here we are in Africa! Wow. God is so good and we are continually amazed at what a miracle it is that we’re here.
So travel to this point: there was like a 2 hour delay leaving the London airport. They had loaded us all up on the bus and then found out there was a problem with the aircraft so we drove around for a while. We sang and talked of course, despite the fact that no one else did. So after a couple rounds about the airport they un loaded us off the bus and we sat around for a bit longer. We actually met a woman who asked us if we were Christians. She said she had recognized some of the songs we were singing on the bus and informed us that she was headed to Jinja to see her daughter who was doing mission work there.
Anyways, we did finally board the plane and take off for our final destination. So long Western world! We had some time with Jesus and slept mostly. Not going to lie, I (TJ) did have a moment of panic but as soon as we landed in Africa it was gone. Now we just had to make it through customs and such…..
When we went in a lady who worked there informed us that only one of us had to go up to get our visas while the other two could go get our bags. We ended up with all of Marlee’s bags, none of Mckenzie’s and one of mine. We went and sat around waiting for some help and a very kind woman started helping Mckenzie sort through trying to find where our luggage had disappeared to. Marlee was reading her Bible and watching our other luggage when a man approached her. The name on his name tag read “Jackson.”
“I see you are reading your word. I am born again also.” (please keep in mind he had an awesome accent that I won’t murder by trying to type…)
“That’s awesome. That makes me really happy.”
“Yes, washed by the blood of the lamb!”
At one point Jackson asked if Marlee was worried about our luggage.
“No,” she responded, “be anxious for nothing…”
He finished with, “but in everything, with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your request be made known before God.”
Good word.
So after they told us they would call if they received our luggage, we headed for customs, aka, three desks, two of them with no one at them at all, one covered in all of another woman’s stuff and a group of customs people chatting off to the side. They didn’t seem to notice us so after standing there for a second or two we just walked out, no questions, no passport check…nothing. Thank you Jesus.
After that we met up with Camille Hadlock, the missionary we’re staying with for these first two months. She’s wonderful. Very sweet and helpful and understanding. We’re so happy to be staying with her. Uganda so far is beautiful. Hilly, green, hot but not too humid. There are lots of people and it feels busy, but not like in America. It is of course, a very poor country and it broke my heart to drive down the street and see naked children, garbage (or rubbish) everywhere, shanty little houses…but what is truly needed is salvation, not money.
We loaded up and headed to a clay factory to get some clay bricks and tiles for the roof. We stuck out quite a bit…being four white females. It was a little intimidating at first, but after a while we got used to it. They wanted to know if we were “Obama’s children….” haha. Well yeah, I mean we’re from America…
After that we got food and we met Hope, a friend of Camille’s. Marlee and her are already like best friends.
----CHANGE OF WRITERS, TJ WENT TO TAKE HER FIRST SHOWER. MARLEE IS NOW TAKING OVER---
That’s because we’re both in love with hymns and could sing them till we die. Anyways, she’s a sweetheart. 28 and newly married. As in, she’s been married for a little over a week and when you ask her about it she is GLOWING. So happy. And so in love with Jesus. Very thankful, and doesn’t complain about anything.
When we arrived in Nakabongo we were able to unload our junk and get settled. The accommodations are more than we expected. Running water. Spacious bedroom. Three beds. And we share the house (which is massive and blue) with many other BMW students….(Bible Missionary Work Students). It’s awesome.
Camille took us into Jinja, which is like ten minutes away from Nakabongo, and we were able to pick up a few things such as:
A phone
3 pillows
A water basin
Toilet paper
You know….necessities.
When we got back, we ate dinner (noodles, beans, rice) and somehow someone started playing a guitar and before we knew it there were three guitars and the tuning began.
It’s not a big deal or anything, but tj was trying to help tune their old guitar and one of the strings popped off. GOOD thing we had extra. But she had to learn QUICK how to re-string a guitar….with an audience. I give her mad props. She got the job done.
That’s pretty much it.
Except for one thing.
We all slept beautifully. But upon making her bed, Mckenzie found a long weave track thing in her bed. As in, a string of someone’s hair was in her bed.
I think we were prepared for spiders and bugs. But we couldn’t ever prepare ourselves for finding someone’s hair….in our beds. Ya. EWWWWW.
Tj’s verse for this trip has been Phil. 4:6. She says it always, during everything, all the time. So much, that I’ve started saying it thus the ex. above with Jackson. It’s starting to be funny, just because I know if anything unexpected happens, it will be followed with Tj saying:
“do not be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
I think I’m going to adopt the next verse and tack it on whenever she says that, because it’s really good….and it will shake things up a bit. :D
Phil 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So I’ll leave you with that. Thanks everyone for praying. Keep it up. Your faith increases my faith. Peace to you from our Lord Jesus who is the CHRIST! AMEN! I love you all.
In Him,
Marlee
Ps- Tj demands that you all know 1 giant spider and 7 big spiders are crawling on our ceiling. If reading that disturbed you, or helped make your life better in any way, prove me wrong and give us all your sympathy. I’m sure Teej would really appreciate it. Holla!

If you want to send us letters:
For these first 2 months, so don’t send any past January 2nd
Name
P.O. Box 1920
Jinja, Uganda, East Africa
Our latter address will be put up later….and if you try to send a package you should probably wait and send it to that one cause it might take a bit. And just so you know what you send may or may not make it.