Well since I have forgotten how to blog I thought my first blog in six months should be from the newest addition to my life! My sweet fiancé, Joshua, who is the Lord’s sweet faithfulness to me. But I will save my post for tomorrow-he is better with words than myself.

That’s me and my Dacia on our first date.  It was terrible, and I won’t get in trouble for that because she will tell you the same thing.  Due to various circumstances, we had known there were feelings between us long before our first “official” date.  So when it came around, there was this big sense of “finally!” and we felt the need to try an American style date.  For future reference, those don’t work very well where we live: in Uganda.

We rented a car and drove to the capital, Kampala, for our “American” date – dinner, ice cream, and a movie.  Dinner (sushi) was great, and really expensive.  The movie was awful.  Traffic was awful.  We both came home thinking the same thing – that was anti-climatic.  Not simple, not us.

As bad as our first date was, it obviously wasn’t tragic, because on September 1, I put a ring on it.  Actually, we were laughing about it the very next day.  Yes, we’ve come a long way since then, and we have a long way to go.  But I can truly say the last seven months have been the most challenging, rewarding, God-centered months of my life.  My Dacia is the Godliest, most respectful, loving woman I have ever known.  Our relationship has been filled with joy, laughter, hard seasons and seeing more of Jesus every day.  We are forever only because He is.

As much as our story can’t be told in a single post, we can sum up where it began:people.  Our mentors and our friends.  Our blood families and our church families, because as God would have it, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.  Those who have prayed for us and challenged us.  Those who have rejoiced on our mountain tops and mourned in our valleys.  You are why we are here, and this is not the end.

We’re beginning a life together.  Actually, we already have.  I set aside my vision of Xchange International and now we’re both serving with Arise Africa International in Jinja, Uganda.  We are planning a wedding and honeymoon on missionary budgets.  She oversees the welfare of 56 children in a babies home, over 300 students in AAI’s primary and secondary school, and child sponsorship.  I have been charged with starting income-generating projects for 200 churches around Uganda, developing over 4,000 students through Arise Africa’s 24 community schools into educated, God-fearing leaders, and managing the organization’s vehicle fleet.  You know, small, simple things.

It is obvious we can’t accomplish these things on our own.  We can’t hold a healthy marriage and serve in ministry without God.  She can’t submit and I can’t lead without His constant presence in our lives.  We also know that God uses people to accomplish His work.  God has used those who have supported us in ministry through their prayers, counsel, and finances.  As we join our lives and ministries together, we need you more than ever.

On November 7, we’re flying to the United States to share what God is doing in and through us.  And believe me, the Spirit is in the details.  The things God has done thus far are hilariously reflective of His character.  Our goals are simple – to give Him the glory He is due and to invite people to walk with us.  We’ll be newlyweds on the mission field.  We need your love, encouragement, prayers, and financial support.  And it doesn’t stop there.  As members of the body of Christ, you need ours, too.  And we’re ready to give it.

Below is a rough schedule of where we will be and when.  If you’re close and want to meet up, we would be honored.  We both love coffee, food, and as my mother would say, any place with “atmosphere.”  Contact either of us and we will get the ball rolling towards a date and time confirmation.  We would be happy to share about the organizational goals and needs of our work in Uganda as well.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.  If our life together so far is any indication, God has bigger things in store for us all.  See you soon.

Because of Him,

Josh and Dacia

josh@xchangeinternational.org  |  dacia.newton@gmail.com