Thursday, October 30, 2008

Welcome!



Cheers!

My name is Lanecia A Rouse.

I am beloved, and I spend most of my days discovering what that means through creating, paying attention to the life around me and living into my call to love.

In my free time I enjoy reading, creating cards, taking photographs, learning from children and singing.

Can you remember a day when you received letters in your mailbox instead of your inbox on gmail, Facebook or Myspace? My hope is to help you rediscover the art of letter-writing and expressing yourself with cards crafted with love, thoughtfulness and joy.

John Mayer sings, "I did not have a camera by my side this time, hoping I could see the world through both my eyes." I have a love and appreciation for the many beautiful creations of God. It gives me great pleasure to sit in the local coffee shop or walk the streets of Nashville, observing from various distances the stories God is writing in the world. God is the Author of all Authors.

In the same breath, I express my love for the camera and the ability to capture moments of beauty. I actually like having the camera by my side so I can see the world through both of my eyes and every now in then, once the film is developed, see a few things I missed.

I hope my photography offerings will help you revel in the many creations of our Loving God, and be moved to live, love, write, and see differently.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

How Can I Keep from Singing


If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted... but if I love Jesus personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door-mat. The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ.- Oswald Chambers

I am still struggling to find the words to express my journey towards redemption this day, but here are some words from someone who is shedding light upon the steps I take. She gets it!

"The Bible's words about the poor aren't my to-do list, another burden on my shoulders. God wants to transform me into a new person. He wants me to find rest in Christ's love. And when my motivation for all things is Christ's love, loving the poor will become an organic shoot growing out of my heart....

... Dietrich Bonhoeffer's words always give me the shivers: 'When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.' I know Christ has asked me to give up my very life to serve him. That could mean any number of things. It might mean I die in the cause of speaking out for the oppressed (as Dietich Bonhoeffer died speaking out against the wrongs of Nazi Germany). It could mean I give up some comforts in order to help others. It might mean I have to make some difficult business decisions. It might mean I give my time to a widow in my neighborhood. I don't know what Christ will ask me to do. But it might not be easy.

That's why Christ's promis is so sweet: When I'm weary from serving, he will give me rest. I'm simply his servant, carrying out the good deeds he has for me. He isn't asking me to carry the burden of the whold world or fix the whole world or be in charge of making sure everything turns out just right. He carries that burden. he asks me simply to love him and love others and act accordingly.

Something happens when a creation does just what it was created to do- it sings. It finds joy and purpose and fulfillment. Far from being a burden in life, I suspect fulfilling my purpose in love and serving the poor around me will make me more truly alive. It will nourish me and bring me joy. God is transforming me into his masterpiece- created for the good works he has placed all around me."
- Amer Van Schooneveld

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you... and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.- Matthew 11:28-30

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Description of the Education System in Uganda



Information is from http://www.myuganda.co.ug/edu/

Structure of the Ugandan Education System

The existing structure of the education system in Uganda has been in force since the early 1960s. It consists of seven years of primary education followed by the lower secondary cycle of four years and the upper secondary cycle of two years, after which there are three to five years of university studies.

On successful completion of the primary school cycle, one can either join lower secondary school or take a three-year craft course in a technical school. However, only about 40% of the primary school graduates are absorbed into the secondary cycle, which implies that there are fewer schools than available students, presenting an investment opportunity to private investors.

Successful students completing lower secondary education have four possible outlets:

Upper secondary school (Advanced Level);
Technical institutes for a 2-3 year advanced craft course;
Primary Teacher College (PTC) for a 2 year course; and
Government's Department Training Colleges (DTCs).
Graduates of upper secondary have several options depending on their performance in
advanced level examinations.

Description of the Education System in Uganda
The Educational system in Uganda consists of pri-primary, primary, secondary and post secondary or tertiary education.

Primary Education
The demand for primary education has radically increased with the introduction in 1997 of free primary education for four children in every family. This saw school enrolment increase from 2 million pupils in 1986 to over 6 millions pupils by 1999. There are variations however, between urban and rural areas with the former having more permanent schools and better teaching and instructional materials than the latter.

Secondary Education
This sector has witnessed a growth of over 20 percent in the number of government-aided secondary schools over the last 10 years and a 15% increase in the number of registered private secondary schools the same period. Still the sector is yet to attain the necessary capacity to cope with the large number of primary school leavers.

Post Secondary Education
Between 9,000 and 12,000 students per year qualify to join post-secondary education. However, only about 25 percent of these are absorbed in post-secondary institutions. Makerere University is Uganda's leading institution of higher learning, accounting for 95 percent of the total University enrolments. The remaining 5 percent are shared between six other Universities at Mbarara, Ndejje, Nkumba, Mbale, Martyrs and Bugema (see Appendix 1). The enrolments into tertiary institutions over the last 10 years increased by over 90 percent while the number of tertiary institutions increased by 1.8 percent in the same period. This indicates that there is need for more institutions at tertiary level to absorb the high numbers of students.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Love Embodied... Global Support Mission

"The time is always right, to do what is right." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


www.knowthinkact.com
www.globalsupportmission.com

Global Support Mission is a non-profit organization run by a team of young adults in Nashville, TN, who daily seek to allow their compassion for others move them towards action.

The organization exist, "to see a movement of compassion wipeout hunger, disease and extreme poverty."

They are an organization that is: (you can find all of this on their website that you should DEFINITELY check out TODAY! :)
Motivated
by the unrelenting love of Christ
Devoted
to serving with honesty, integrity, and fidelity
Dedicated
to defend the dreamer and the fulfillment of the dream
Determined
to operate within our means through resourcefulness and imagination
Committed
to cultivating productive and lasting relationships with our partners and network affiliates

I have only had the pleasure of spending time with Travis and David, however I believe that the heart, dedication and vision of the team is consistent with the values listed above.

Drop a note to Travis, David, Brady, Peter, Lauren, and Mindee to offer encouragement, support and love.

You can send an Agape note to the team at GSM to:
Global Support Mission
1262 2nd Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37210