What I love

I’m not sure even where to begin this time around. First, I’ve just finished my prayer letter and it’s being sent out by Friday. We have a team here from Circleville, Ohio right now and I’m going to send the letters home with them so that it’s a bit cheaper to mail to you all. I’m looking forward to getting some feedback from you guys on how it turned out. I really enjoyed piecing it all together… with the help of a veteran missionary.
So week four of school is almost over already. Monday was Liberation Day, which basically just celebrates the president, Musevni coming into power. We didn’t have school, which was awesome, so I went geocaching with some friends! Yeah, geocaching in Africa! How sweet is that?? It was so fun. A day away from school, and a day of fun. We drove all the way down to Entebbe to find a cache, but it was not there (well if it was there, it was 12 miles into Lake Victoria according to my gps). So we found a nice relaxing spot by the lake to hang out for a while. After geocaching, Francis and I played volleyball with Lino and the rest of his family for a few hours. It was an awesome way to spend the day.
Speaking of Lino. It has now been 20 days since he has had a seizure. It seems as though the medicine is under control and he is adjusted. Now, he did just go to the doctor yesterday and they took him off one of the meds, but not the seizure one, so please be praying that he remains in good health as his body adjusts to being without this other medicine. Pray for his guardians, Jade and Shelah, and pray for me as I continue my ministry with them. I just love the whole family!
So it’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for 6 months already, but it’s true! I just have 5 more months here and based on how quickly the first 6 went, I’m thinking I’ll be home before I even know it. Once again, it’s weird to think how fast this has all gone. Time is getting away from me. I have so much to do here still… maybe that just means I’ll be coming back sooner than I think, right? Who knows.
I’m really having a great time in the culture here. I’ve learned so many things, it’s going to be fun to tell you all about it when I’m back in the States. I seriously can’t explain some things very well, but it’ll be easier when I can see you. Somehow when I’m here, I’m at peace. I’m comfortable. I don’t feel like an outsider anymore. East Africa feels like home to me. It’s a wonderful thing, really. This might not be easy for some of you to understand or even want to know about. This is not a slam on America because I really do miss you all so much some days it hurts, but I’m really glad this feels like home. It just amazes me how quickly one can adapt to a completely foreign culture. There are definitely things that I don’t like and that I don’t agree with, but you live and learn I guess. When you’re away from everything and everyone that you’ve ever known it is easy to cling to those things and people. It’s easy to not allow yourself to be a part of the world you’re now in. Thanks to technology I can call home whenever I want to (for a price). I can see pictures and even video chat online so I can see you guys in real time. Is that what makes this bearable though? Maybe, but I hope not. I like to think that it’s the ways I’ve adapted to this new culture that make it bearable. If you become a part of the culture, you make it your own. If you love it and appreciate it, it’s yours. If you don’t love it, if you stay stuck in a Western culture, you’ll never, ever love where you’re at. These are just some things that I’ve been thinking about lately. I think I’ve felt guilty for loving this place so much and so it’s got me thinking about how I could love somewhere so far from home, so different in every way… so much.
Kooky.
Moving on. My baby brother just turned 23 on Tuesday. Man! How is that even possible?? When did we get old? I still can’t even believe that Alexandria Marie will be two in just a few months. I’ve been gone for about a quarter of her life. Weird. I miss my nieces terribly. I can’t believe how much they’ve grown, learned, and changed in such a short time. I’m surrounded by beautiful African babies… and sometimes when I look into their eyes all I can see are Kayla and Alex. I want them to someday see the things that I’m seeing and experience the things that I’m experiencing.
So, I thought I’d tell you some things that I love about Africa. It seems like over the past 6 months I’ve talked a lot about the things that are hard to adjust to and the things that bother me, but let me tell you the things I’m in love with. Every morning on my walk to school, I’m surrounded by some of the brightest colors I’ve ever seen. There are beautiful flowers all over the place. Most are just “weeds” I think, but it’s like being in botanical gardens all the time. Some of them have fragrances that can be smelled from 10 feet away. You just breathe in the sweetness as you walk down the orange, rusty colored dirt roads. Everything is so green and lush. Even in the dry season the plants flourish and bloom. I love that there are almost always babies animals running around. Baby chicks, goats, funny African duckies, baby cows, and puppies are seen almost daily. There’s no Spring, so there’s no waiting for the babies. They’re around all year.
I love that the women can carry so much on their heads. African women are absolutely incredible. My “slippery Caucasian hair” as it’s often called is not conducive to carrying stuff on my head, but I wish I could! The women here are so strong, yet they are so elegant and beautiful. I love that people are such hard workers here. Life is dependent on work. No work, no life. I love that children are always outside and almost always laughing. They find joy in the tiniest things... things like an empty water bottle to kick down the street. They climb trees and play games. They are so young, yet they are aged beyond their years because there is such a strong work ethic engrained in them from birth.
I love that people are resourceful, using anything and everything around them to complete their tasks. I love that people are so genuinely friendly here. If you stop say hi to someone, it’s not just saying hi. You are expected to have a full conversation, to ask about the family, to take the time to really hear how that person is doing. You don’t just say, “hey, how’s it goin?” and keep walking, ignoring the answer given. People invest in one another. Family is the most important thing.
In the villages people work from dawn until dusk to survive. Their lives revolve around the sun, around God’s creation. Here in the city it is easier to get what you want and need. There is so much available at your fingertips, but still not many people have the money.
I love the smiles I see every single day. If nothing else the smiles keep me going when I’m down. It’s hard to miss the smile of an African with skin so smooth and dark, and teeth so bright. I love how easy it seems for Africans to smile. They smile at me in passing; they smile at each other. The smiles are so brilliant and illuminating.
There is so much more to this magnificent continent and it’s many cultures and tribes and I really hope to experience as many as I can in my lifetime.
It really does take prayers and support from people like you to make all of these wonderful things so true to me. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today and I’m really grateful for the ways that you support me. There are days when lifting my hands to the Lord seems impossible, when my heart and mind are separated and my thoughts wander to another place and time. There are days when God seems so far away, but trust me when I say that your prayers and love are felt here and that I need you daily. Pray for health, pray for safety, pray for my ministries (new ministries, old ones, and ones that I don’t even know about yet). Pray for my heart. Pray for my family and friends. Pray for this land. Pray for East Africa. Pray for Uganda. Pray for Kampala. Pray for Heritage International School, for the students and staff. Pray for healing. Pray for more and more of Jesus to be shown daily around the world. I love you all. Be blessed today.