Time is kind of crawling for me right now. I've been home for about 3 weeks, but it seems like much longer than that. Maybe it's because I miss everyone so much or maybe it's because I've been waiting to go see Stacy, Jeff, and baby Owen. Whatever the reason... I'm actually glad time is moving slow. I'm struggling to figure out where I fit in here, but then I think about the fact that I've only been home a few weeks and I feel better.
Moving on to the point of this blog... my brother moved out about a week and a half ago. We rented a truck and I helped him moved all his stuff . You should have seen the struggle we went through trying to get some of his furniture out of the basement! If you came to my house last year you know how giant that green couch and chair are... I don't know how it made it into the basement, but me helping my brother get it out was a joke. Not to say that I'm weak or anything. ;) Anyways, it was just me and him loading and unloading the truck and it was NOT easy. So a few days later I was helping him get the rest of the little junk out of his old room (my new room). We were carrying some clothes from his Jeep to his place and one to his nice suits slid off the box I was carrying. His hands were full, my hands were full, and his nice suit was laying on the ground getting dirty. We kind of looked at each other and then looked at the suit and then back at each other. I think in our heads we were trying to figure out the best way to get his clothes off the ground without having to put the rest of the clothes down, or dropping even more stuff. As we're just standing there, some guy came up from out of no where and picked it up and put it back on the box that I was carrying. He was a young guy, probably on his way out to meet friends or something, but the thing is that he took time to stop and help. Now, I know you're thinking, "so??", but the point is... I was shocked. Obviously we thanked the guy and moved on, but for a while after that I couldn't help, but think about this random act of kindness. I was saddened by the fact that I was so shocked. It shouldn't be shocking for someone to stop and help someone else especially with something so simple, but it was. Does that mean that I wouldn't have done the same thing or does that mean it doesn't happen enough and I have a cynical view of humans? I think maybe a bit of both. I didn't like being so shocked because that's what Christ would have done. It's so easy for me to see someone and judge them by their outer appearance instead of seeing them as Christ does. It was an exciting moment to realize that there are still people who want to be helpful and want to be good, but also a very convicting moment for me. Man, I need to love EVERY single person I encounter just as Christ would. Thank you Lord for reminding me of that through something so seemingly small.
So other than that the only thing that's new with me is that I finally have my bedroom set up for the most part. It's nice to have my own space and a place to get away to when I need it. Also, I bought a goldfish... maybe because I miss Lino and it reminds me of him. :)
Anyways, I have some friends and family that have been an encouragement to me lately. Since the day I arrived I have been worrying about what's next... thinking that I had to make a decision right away. It would be great to know exactly when I'm going to have the chance to go back to Uganda, but until I know I need to be here. I need to focus on what's before me and the opportunities that God is presenting me with daily.
I leave my Skype signed on all night because I don't want to miss an opportunity to talk to anyone from Africa... with the time zone being so different I'm willing to sacrafice sleep in order to stay in touch with people. So this morning at around 5:40am I rolled over because I heard someone calling me on Skype. I saw who it was and decided I would just call them later. I ignored the call and then couldn't go back to sleep because I was too excited at the prospect of talking to my friend. I quickly learned that it was Lino who was calling me on Francis' Skype name because he was at the school with Wasswa for Wasswa's piano lesson. Lino decided he was going to call me! I was so excited to finally talk to that kid! Francis' computer has a built in webcam so I got to see not only Lino, but Francis and Wasswa too! It was so cool. Wasswa is going into second grade this year at Heritage. He was in my roommate's class last year and he was no doubt the cutest first grader! I got to know him and his new adoptive mom, Roxanne pretty well. Anyways, I love those guys so much and it was so sweet to talk to them even if it was 5:40 in the morning. I was thankful that my old school Mac doesn't have a webcam at that moment... I would have scared them all from calling me ever again!
It was a huge encouragement to hear from them and was the perfect way to start my day. I went to bed pretty late last night because I was on another encouraging phone call, but even still I loved my early morning call!
Something I need to apologize for is not being good about answering my phone. I've not been in the chatting mood, but I'm working on it. Feel free to call me!
I'm heading down to Florida tomorrow to meet baby Owen and visit with Stacy and Jeff. I'm so excited! I'm also excited for some warm weather... it's been so cold up here these days! For real, 65 degrees might be "nice" to some people, but it's COLD to me. I lived on the equator for a year. Also, the air conditioning everywhere is killing me! I'm always freezing these days so I sometimes wear a scarf just to keep my neck warm and people keep making fun of me. Even in Africa I wore a scarf or sweater to school every morning until it got too hot.
When I get back from Florida Trent is coming to hang for a bit and then I think I'll get to see some friends I met in Uganda. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks!
Please continue to pray for me, my family, and my friends. Pray for the nation of Uganda and the whole continent of Africa. Pray for clarity, for discernment, and for decisions. Pray for rest. Pray for Lino and the adoption process and his overall health. Much love!
ps don't forget to check out the video below of Lino getting his presents. It's funny!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Christina NOT in Uganda
Well I've been home for just over a week now and it's so weird! After about a year of being gone I'm back in the U.S. and I'm already working and getting into a routine. I'm actually kinda sad about working and stuff so fast because it seems like it erases everything I've done for the last year. I don't want to move on yet (now or ever actually). I'm just not ready to be done with Africa... at all. I'm missing it so bad already. I know... it's only been a week, but I just want to be a part of life there. I never wanted to be one of those people that come and go, but that's me. I'm praying that the Lord gives me some clarity on what is next and I'm hoping that it has something to do with Uganda.
I'm really trying to not sit around and be sad all the time, but some days it's hard. I've already gotten to see lots of people and I have plenty more to see still. It's so great to see everyone, but it really does seem like I never left. It'll probably hit me how long I've been gone when I head down to Florida in a couple weeks to spend time with Stacy, Jeff, and baby Owen. I can't wait to meet my new nephew (stacy is my BFF)! It's been so sweet to be able to spend time with my family. Kayla (4) and Alexandria (2) are hilarious! Alexandria remembered me!! I did NOT think she would at all, but the morning after I got in I went downstairs and just sat on the bottom stair and waited for her to notice me, so I wouldn't scare her. She looked up and immediately her eyes got huge and she yelled, "TT!! Nana, my TT here!!" And she ran to me and gave me a big hug and kiss. It was so special! :)
So saying goodbye... not fun... not something I'm good at. Given the fact that I'm pretty non-emotional, my last day was SUPER emotional. Without going into to too much detail, saying goodbye to Francis, Lino and the Ackers were both really difficult for me. Of course it was hard to say bye to other people, but I really invested a lot into these guys. The Ackers made me feel like a part of their family... I spent Christmas day with them and my birthday... they are awesome. Of course, all the time spent with the Ackers was much because of their soon-to-be-son, Lino. Being a part of this kids life is something I thank God for everyday. He's like my little brother... seriously, I love the kid. And then there's Francis. I couldn't ask for a cooler guy and a better friend. He made me comfortable and we had fun. The Lord is using his ministry in the lives of lots of people.
Anyways, I met Lino and family for lunch, then we went back to their house. They had stuff to do, so Lino and I watched a movie and I gave him his presents. I made him a scrapbook of the last year and bought him a couple of goldfish (which I realize sounds weird... but you have to know the kid). Then Lino went to play some basketball while I went to say bye to Francis. I hung with him for a bit and then told him bye, and then had like 30 minutes to compose myself before having dinner with Lino and the Ackers and saying goodbye to them. So I spent the evening with them, finished watching my movie with Lino and then told them bye and went home. I was all packed, so I got to go right to bed and sleep away my sadness. Getting on the plane was so hard for me. Yikes. Enough of that.
So now that I'm home I'm working at my parent's store. I'm doing marketing and public relations for them. So far I've sent out an email blast and set all that up for them. I've created a presentation for them. I've created an advertisement for the newspaper and got in contact with someone about getting them a booth at the county fair to take orders for the store. All in all, it's not too bad and it's something that I'm fairly good at. I don't like that I'm not in "full time ministry" as in, I don't like that I'm not working at a church right now. I met with Pastor Christina for lunch (pastor at the UM church I worked at) and we got to talk about Africa a lot which was nice. She's been to Kenya so it was nice to be able to talk about some things and she knew exactly what I was talking about.
I don't know what's next for me... that the big question that everyone is asking. I'm waiting on the Lord and trusting that I'll have an idea of what's next soon. God is a good God and I'm excited about whatever lies ahead.
My family is throwing me a welcome home party this weekend, so I'm excited to see more peeps. That's about it for me. Bare with me as I adjust to life back here. Pray with me. Pray for Uganda. Pray for my friends and family there. Pray for my friends and family here. Pray for Lino. Pray for patience and discernment.
Much love home slices!
I'm really trying to not sit around and be sad all the time, but some days it's hard. I've already gotten to see lots of people and I have plenty more to see still. It's so great to see everyone, but it really does seem like I never left. It'll probably hit me how long I've been gone when I head down to Florida in a couple weeks to spend time with Stacy, Jeff, and baby Owen. I can't wait to meet my new nephew (stacy is my BFF)! It's been so sweet to be able to spend time with my family. Kayla (4) and Alexandria (2) are hilarious! Alexandria remembered me!! I did NOT think she would at all, but the morning after I got in I went downstairs and just sat on the bottom stair and waited for her to notice me, so I wouldn't scare her. She looked up and immediately her eyes got huge and she yelled, "TT!! Nana, my TT here!!" And she ran to me and gave me a big hug and kiss. It was so special! :)
So saying goodbye... not fun... not something I'm good at. Given the fact that I'm pretty non-emotional, my last day was SUPER emotional. Without going into to too much detail, saying goodbye to Francis, Lino and the Ackers were both really difficult for me. Of course it was hard to say bye to other people, but I really invested a lot into these guys. The Ackers made me feel like a part of their family... I spent Christmas day with them and my birthday... they are awesome. Of course, all the time spent with the Ackers was much because of their soon-to-be-son, Lino. Being a part of this kids life is something I thank God for everyday. He's like my little brother... seriously, I love the kid. And then there's Francis. I couldn't ask for a cooler guy and a better friend. He made me comfortable and we had fun. The Lord is using his ministry in the lives of lots of people.
Anyways, I met Lino and family for lunch, then we went back to their house. They had stuff to do, so Lino and I watched a movie and I gave him his presents. I made him a scrapbook of the last year and bought him a couple of goldfish (which I realize sounds weird... but you have to know the kid). Then Lino went to play some basketball while I went to say bye to Francis. I hung with him for a bit and then told him bye, and then had like 30 minutes to compose myself before having dinner with Lino and the Ackers and saying goodbye to them. So I spent the evening with them, finished watching my movie with Lino and then told them bye and went home. I was all packed, so I got to go right to bed and sleep away my sadness. Getting on the plane was so hard for me. Yikes. Enough of that.
So now that I'm home I'm working at my parent's store. I'm doing marketing and public relations for them. So far I've sent out an email blast and set all that up for them. I've created a presentation for them. I've created an advertisement for the newspaper and got in contact with someone about getting them a booth at the county fair to take orders for the store. All in all, it's not too bad and it's something that I'm fairly good at. I don't like that I'm not in "full time ministry" as in, I don't like that I'm not working at a church right now. I met with Pastor Christina for lunch (pastor at the UM church I worked at) and we got to talk about Africa a lot which was nice. She's been to Kenya so it was nice to be able to talk about some things and she knew exactly what I was talking about.
I don't know what's next for me... that the big question that everyone is asking. I'm waiting on the Lord and trusting that I'll have an idea of what's next soon. God is a good God and I'm excited about whatever lies ahead.
My family is throwing me a welcome home party this weekend, so I'm excited to see more peeps. That's about it for me. Bare with me as I adjust to life back here. Pray with me. Pray for Uganda. Pray for my friends and family there. Pray for my friends and family here. Pray for Lino. Pray for patience and discernment.
Much love home slices!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Just Over a Week
School ended well. There were some sad goodbyes, but I think everyone is relieved. I spent some special times with the students and I’ll not soon forget them. Last week I spent each morning helping with sports camp down at the school. It’s for 1st-6th graders. Last week was soccer, this week we’re doing basketball. Somehow I’ve been incredibly busy each day after camp. Even with so many people gone, I’ve still had many people to see and spent time with before I leave. I got to spend a bit more time with Lino before he started to travel. He gets back next Monday night. So, I’ve had to say goodbye to so many people in the last week and a half or so, it’s actually getting easier. Of course the hardest is yet to come. With Nick here, there’s never a dull moment so that’s been helpful. I think the fact that I’ve been so busy helps with the sadness. With one more full week left I feel like I’ve got a ton to do, but not so much time to do it. I’m also thinking I’m going to run out of money and suitcase space because I keep finding fun things to bring home. ☺
So this next week of basketball is going to fly by I think. I have plans almost everyday after camp (and after a shower after camp… the sun is intense these days!). I think that even tonight after I go out I’m going to come home and start packing… at least start seeing what I actually have space for.
I had a debriefing session with my boss this past week. We basically talked about my work this year and the good and not so good stuff. It was really a good experience and I’m glad I got to talk some stuff out with her. My time here has been pretty unemotional as in, I didn’t really cry at while I was here. In thinking about coming home and being away from here, I’m told that the whole unemotional thing is going to change. I’m definitely trying to prepare myself for that and for all of the difficult times ahead trying to readjust to life back in America. Apparently I’ll go through reverse culture shock. Weird, I know.
So, I’m not sure what else to say at this point. It’s a VERY weird feeling to know that I’m going to be home in a week and a half. I’ve been having LOTS of dreams about home and people from home. Some are so real it’s scary. I’m totally excited to see you all and give you big hugs! Maybe I’ll come up with something more to write about this week, but for now this is all I’ve got. Blessings!
So this next week of basketball is going to fly by I think. I have plans almost everyday after camp (and after a shower after camp… the sun is intense these days!). I think that even tonight after I go out I’m going to come home and start packing… at least start seeing what I actually have space for.
I had a debriefing session with my boss this past week. We basically talked about my work this year and the good and not so good stuff. It was really a good experience and I’m glad I got to talk some stuff out with her. My time here has been pretty unemotional as in, I didn’t really cry at while I was here. In thinking about coming home and being away from here, I’m told that the whole unemotional thing is going to change. I’m definitely trying to prepare myself for that and for all of the difficult times ahead trying to readjust to life back in America. Apparently I’ll go through reverse culture shock. Weird, I know.
So, I’m not sure what else to say at this point. It’s a VERY weird feeling to know that I’m going to be home in a week and a half. I’ve been having LOTS of dreams about home and people from home. Some are so real it’s scary. I’m totally excited to see you all and give you big hugs! Maybe I’ll come up with something more to write about this week, but for now this is all I’ve got. Blessings!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Last Full Day of School
Well… today is basically the last day of school because tomorrow is a half-day. My kids had a field trip with their French teacher to an “amusement park” right up the road. I went to that for a little while with them, but then I came back to school for lunch with the high schoolers. Everyday for the past few months I’ve played basketball with the 9th grade boys. It keeps them out of trouble and I genuinely love each of them. Plus, Lino is a 9th grader so hanging out with him is always good. Evgeni is a 7th grader, but he holds his own out there. Anyways, two of the boys are always in trouble here, most of the teachers think that they are hopeless and will never change. I get along with them real well. They’re just goofy, troublemakers looking for a laugh. The ladies love them and they’re just fun. The teachers though… are gunning for these guys. So I decided, in order to keep them out of trouble and also to let them know that not everyone thinks the same of them, I ball with them. A lot of times it’s just silly games with a lot of trash-talking, but it’s a time that I’ve come to cherish. I never laugh more at school than when I’m on the court with these 7 guys. I left the field trip with my students early so that I could come back and play ball with them one more time.
I’ve been up and down about leaving lately. Today I’m down because I’m so sad to not hang out with these guys anymore. Being at an International school means that people come and go all the time. A lot of the guys won’t even be in Uganda next year. Somehow, it’s sad to me. I hope that they remember these times when someone wasn’t judgmental and just really wanted to love on them and hang out with them. I hope I was that person for them this year.
My mind is jumbled… I just took another basketball break in between writing this. Being the last day, no one did what they should have been doing, so we spent last hour, me and Lino playing basketball.
It is so insane to think that this year is over. Yeah, it’s been a loooooong year for me because teaching hasn’t been the best, but I already know that I wouldn’t trade the time I’ve spent here for anything. I’ve grown and learned so much this year, not just about the job, but about myself and the way I act in different situations. I’m going to miss being a part of Heritage International School. Notice I didn’t say I was going to miss teaching?? Well the truth is I AM going to miss teaching. Maybe not the day-to-day stuff, but making a difference in the lives of students is a huge deal. Its so strange to think about the fact that I’m a teacher.
Anyways, blah, blah, blah. I haven’t updated in a while because I’ve been unsure about too many things to write a decent update. I now know that I’m going home on June 17th and staying home for a while. Yes, I’m disappointed that I won’t be back at the school in August, but I think it’s going to be good to make some long-term decisions. I have some options when planning my return here, but I also have some options as far as life in America goes. I’m thinking about grad school or seminary a bit. We’ll see I suppose.
I do know that I’m pumped to see everyone and ready to hug my nieces.
I have about 3 weeks left here and there’s so much I want to do, but I’m overwhelmed trying to figure out how to do it all in that amount of time. So many people are leaving from the mission that it’s just going to be me and about 4 other people from WGM around after Monday. Lino is leaving on the 4th to do some work and travel around Uganda with Refuge & Hope. Luckily, he gets back about a day before I leave on the 17th. I am NOT looking forward to telling him goodbye. It’s actually a bit too sad to even write about right now. I’m going to miss that kid like crazy. He’s become like a brother to me.
Well as I’m finishing this up the crew is here to clean my classroom. After tomorrow… it’s not my classroom. Weird! I’m hoping to update again soon. Can’t wait to see you all. Much love!
I’ve been up and down about leaving lately. Today I’m down because I’m so sad to not hang out with these guys anymore. Being at an International school means that people come and go all the time. A lot of the guys won’t even be in Uganda next year. Somehow, it’s sad to me. I hope that they remember these times when someone wasn’t judgmental and just really wanted to love on them and hang out with them. I hope I was that person for them this year.
My mind is jumbled… I just took another basketball break in between writing this. Being the last day, no one did what they should have been doing, so we spent last hour, me and Lino playing basketball.
It is so insane to think that this year is over. Yeah, it’s been a loooooong year for me because teaching hasn’t been the best, but I already know that I wouldn’t trade the time I’ve spent here for anything. I’ve grown and learned so much this year, not just about the job, but about myself and the way I act in different situations. I’m going to miss being a part of Heritage International School. Notice I didn’t say I was going to miss teaching?? Well the truth is I AM going to miss teaching. Maybe not the day-to-day stuff, but making a difference in the lives of students is a huge deal. Its so strange to think about the fact that I’m a teacher.
Anyways, blah, blah, blah. I haven’t updated in a while because I’ve been unsure about too many things to write a decent update. I now know that I’m going home on June 17th and staying home for a while. Yes, I’m disappointed that I won’t be back at the school in August, but I think it’s going to be good to make some long-term decisions. I have some options when planning my return here, but I also have some options as far as life in America goes. I’m thinking about grad school or seminary a bit. We’ll see I suppose.
I do know that I’m pumped to see everyone and ready to hug my nieces.
I have about 3 weeks left here and there’s so much I want to do, but I’m overwhelmed trying to figure out how to do it all in that amount of time. So many people are leaving from the mission that it’s just going to be me and about 4 other people from WGM around after Monday. Lino is leaving on the 4th to do some work and travel around Uganda with Refuge & Hope. Luckily, he gets back about a day before I leave on the 17th. I am NOT looking forward to telling him goodbye. It’s actually a bit too sad to even write about right now. I’m going to miss that kid like crazy. He’s become like a brother to me.
Well as I’m finishing this up the crew is here to clean my classroom. After tomorrow… it’s not my classroom. Weird! I’m hoping to update again soon. Can’t wait to see you all. Much love!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Africa
Africa by Paul Coleman Trio
I came to change you but instead you changed me
And I confess I came to frame you in a photograph
But you showed me why
And you turned this heart around
And I see your smile how it can be
So much brighter than me
And your silent eyes they scream
Of hunger and meaning and eternal dreaming
Africa
Africa
We smiled at you from behind the glass
And without reserve and whiter than snow
You smiled back at us
And you showed me who
And you turned this mind around
And I see your hands reach out to God
So much higher than ours
And your silent eyes they scream
Of hunger and meaning and eternal dreaming
Africa
//Afrika mimi naku penda//
I came to change you but instead you changed me
And I confess I came to frame you in a photograph
But you showed me why
And you turned this heart around
And I see your smile how it can be
So much brighter than me
And your silent eyes they scream
Of hunger and meaning and eternal dreaming
Africa
Africa
We smiled at you from behind the glass
And without reserve and whiter than snow
You smiled back at us
And you showed me who
And you turned this mind around
And I see your hands reach out to God
So much higher than ours
And your silent eyes they scream
Of hunger and meaning and eternal dreaming
Africa
//Afrika mimi naku penda//
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Kenya dig it?
The week before spring break ended on a good note. It was VERY hectic and busy, but my class was fabulous and things ended nicely. I’m really excited to say that things worked out very well with Kenya and traveling over break! We didn’t get to go to the Masaai Mara region, but we spent time in Nairobi and Mombasa. Between the bus rides and the train we spent a total of 50 hours traveling from here to Nairobi, then to Mombasa, then back to Nairobi, and then finally back to Kampala.
It’s about a 12-13 hour bus ride from here to Nairobi, but we took a very nice bus, so the ride wasn’t bad at all. That was the nicest part of our travel though let me tell you! The overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa ended up taking 17 hours. Not my idea of a good time. But we got there and we were safe. In Nairobi we were able to see one of the churches that WGM has helped start there and spend some time with our regional directors. I absolutely love them and it was a blessing to see them. They were great about hosting us in their city… took us to lunch and brought us to a Sunday market. When we got to Mombasa the beach was the first stop on my list. I love the beach and I was soooo excited to see the Indian Ocean. Once we got to the guest house and dropped our things we were in the water within 5 minutes!
The ocean was warm, I mean real warm, but I learned real quick that the only way to stay cool in Mombasa is to be in the water or in a cold shower. It was SO hot there! Yes, I am aware that I live on the equator, but still… wow!
The second day in Mombasa we took a taxi to south beach and we paid to use a resort’s pool and beach access. The water was clearer than any water I’ve ever been in. It was so beautiful against the white beach. I know you’re all dying to know if I got to ride a camel and the answer is heck yes I did! It was amazing! And kinda scary… camels are huge! They were really sweet though and surprisingly gentle. It was a fabulous experience! How many people can really say that they’ve ridden a camel, on the Indian Ocean, in Kenya?? ☺ I know, I know… not many people really care, but it was super exciting for me.
Once we reached back in Nairobi we got showered and ready to go out on safari for the day. Before we went into the game park we went to a baby elephant orphanage and then a giraffe center. It was so cool! They were so cute… all of them! Even the baby rhino that rammed me was so cute! I was kissed by a giraffe and then right after I was kissed, I was head butted by it. It was a love-hate relationship, I guess.
After that we headed into Nairobi’s big game park and were promptly greeted by hundreds of zebras just hanging out, grazing, trying not to get eaten by lions. A little bit farther in and the giraffes were relaxing, wandering around, hanging out. We saw plenty of great animals and I felt like I was in the Lion King or something. ☺ The vehicle we hired was awesome! It had two huge openings to stand up and take pictures from and stuff, instead I chose to sit on the roof of the cruiser. It was a really cool experience and even though we didn’t spot any lions, it was totally worth it. I’ll put a link at the end of this post so those of you without facebook can check out some of the pictures.
After safari we went to a place for some dinner and as we were in the parking lot I spotted someone that I met when I was up in Sudan. She was on holiday as well and she happened to be traveling to Kampala on the same bus as we were, so I was excited to invite her to stay with us once she was in Kampala (she was stopping off in Jinja for a day). The world became tiny as I realized how random it was for me to run into her in a huge city like Nairobi.
When we got back to Kampala late the night before Easter we were exhausted. I basically went straight to bed. Easter was strange and I say that because it was different to be out of the western world for yet another huge holiday, but it was good. The WGM Kampala field had a big dinner and an Easter egg hunt for the MK’s. It was fun to hide the eggs… something I love doing for my cousin’s kids normally. My friend from Sudan, Amy came in from Jinja and was able to have dinner with us too. A blessed time indeed.
We spent the next day showing Amy around Kampala (k-town as I like to call it). We went to markets and shops for her to gather as much as possible before getting back up to South Sudan where things are scarce. Tuesday was relaxing and spent getting ready for our WGM Uganda field retreat out in Fort Portal which is in the west along the Congo border, in the mountains. We arrived there after a 4 hour drive Wednesday. We were greeted by cool air (we were in the mountains) and the smiling faces of everyone on the field… and then some. I was in charge of worship for the week, so right away I found my drummer, Nick and we started getting ready for that. Needless to say when you’re on retreat but in charge of something, you don’t find much time to actually retreat. Alas, it was a good time with people I don’t get to see everyday and I was thankful to catch up with my friends. The night I got home from Fort Portal I went to sleep around 9pm and didn’t get out of bed until about 9am. That’s when my retreat happened. ☺
School has started back up and I’m actually enjoying it right now. Getting back into a routine is somehow nice. I’m actually very comfortable in the classroom and I love getting to school early before anyone else is here and just get myself prepared for the day. I’m finding it easier to come up with new and exciting things for the kids to do. It’s encouraging. There are less than 6 weeks left now. I can’t believe how quickly time has gone by this year. I’m still struggling with the idea of leaving this place, but the excitement of seeing people is starting to swell up in my heart. I can’t wait to share my adventures with you all face to face.
My goal is to be back here in Uganda by August. This will only be by the grace of God as funding is always difficult, especially with the economic status of America right now. I love these kids, I love these people, and I love this country. I think when I leave I’ll be leaving part of my heart here. I was talking to a good friend last night about how I’m a bit scared to come home and he smartly pointed out that I was really scared to come here in the first place and now I wouldn’t trade this experience with anything. It’s true, I’m nervous about my return. Partly because I’ve been gone for a year and people move on, but also partly because I’ve changed a lot and I’ve moved on. Also, I’m scared to leave here because there are people here that I truly love. It’s always difficult to leave people you love.
That’s all for now. I’ve put the links to a couple of photo albums at the bottom. Check them out to see what I’ve been up to. I love you all.
Kenya:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051135&id=161500306&l=8cc1952faa
Worship night:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049402&id=161500306&l=bf9ac465b2
Sudan:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049401&id=161500306&l=b3eaade2fc
Random Ugandan pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048572&id=161500306&l=7d3d4dfdb9
It’s about a 12-13 hour bus ride from here to Nairobi, but we took a very nice bus, so the ride wasn’t bad at all. That was the nicest part of our travel though let me tell you! The overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa ended up taking 17 hours. Not my idea of a good time. But we got there and we were safe. In Nairobi we were able to see one of the churches that WGM has helped start there and spend some time with our regional directors. I absolutely love them and it was a blessing to see them. They were great about hosting us in their city… took us to lunch and brought us to a Sunday market. When we got to Mombasa the beach was the first stop on my list. I love the beach and I was soooo excited to see the Indian Ocean. Once we got to the guest house and dropped our things we were in the water within 5 minutes!
The ocean was warm, I mean real warm, but I learned real quick that the only way to stay cool in Mombasa is to be in the water or in a cold shower. It was SO hot there! Yes, I am aware that I live on the equator, but still… wow!
The second day in Mombasa we took a taxi to south beach and we paid to use a resort’s pool and beach access. The water was clearer than any water I’ve ever been in. It was so beautiful against the white beach. I know you’re all dying to know if I got to ride a camel and the answer is heck yes I did! It was amazing! And kinda scary… camels are huge! They were really sweet though and surprisingly gentle. It was a fabulous experience! How many people can really say that they’ve ridden a camel, on the Indian Ocean, in Kenya?? ☺ I know, I know… not many people really care, but it was super exciting for me.
Once we reached back in Nairobi we got showered and ready to go out on safari for the day. Before we went into the game park we went to a baby elephant orphanage and then a giraffe center. It was so cool! They were so cute… all of them! Even the baby rhino that rammed me was so cute! I was kissed by a giraffe and then right after I was kissed, I was head butted by it. It was a love-hate relationship, I guess.
After that we headed into Nairobi’s big game park and were promptly greeted by hundreds of zebras just hanging out, grazing, trying not to get eaten by lions. A little bit farther in and the giraffes were relaxing, wandering around, hanging out. We saw plenty of great animals and I felt like I was in the Lion King or something. ☺ The vehicle we hired was awesome! It had two huge openings to stand up and take pictures from and stuff, instead I chose to sit on the roof of the cruiser. It was a really cool experience and even though we didn’t spot any lions, it was totally worth it. I’ll put a link at the end of this post so those of you without facebook can check out some of the pictures.
After safari we went to a place for some dinner and as we were in the parking lot I spotted someone that I met when I was up in Sudan. She was on holiday as well and she happened to be traveling to Kampala on the same bus as we were, so I was excited to invite her to stay with us once she was in Kampala (she was stopping off in Jinja for a day). The world became tiny as I realized how random it was for me to run into her in a huge city like Nairobi.
When we got back to Kampala late the night before Easter we were exhausted. I basically went straight to bed. Easter was strange and I say that because it was different to be out of the western world for yet another huge holiday, but it was good. The WGM Kampala field had a big dinner and an Easter egg hunt for the MK’s. It was fun to hide the eggs… something I love doing for my cousin’s kids normally. My friend from Sudan, Amy came in from Jinja and was able to have dinner with us too. A blessed time indeed.
We spent the next day showing Amy around Kampala (k-town as I like to call it). We went to markets and shops for her to gather as much as possible before getting back up to South Sudan where things are scarce. Tuesday was relaxing and spent getting ready for our WGM Uganda field retreat out in Fort Portal which is in the west along the Congo border, in the mountains. We arrived there after a 4 hour drive Wednesday. We were greeted by cool air (we were in the mountains) and the smiling faces of everyone on the field… and then some. I was in charge of worship for the week, so right away I found my drummer, Nick and we started getting ready for that. Needless to say when you’re on retreat but in charge of something, you don’t find much time to actually retreat. Alas, it was a good time with people I don’t get to see everyday and I was thankful to catch up with my friends. The night I got home from Fort Portal I went to sleep around 9pm and didn’t get out of bed until about 9am. That’s when my retreat happened. ☺
School has started back up and I’m actually enjoying it right now. Getting back into a routine is somehow nice. I’m actually very comfortable in the classroom and I love getting to school early before anyone else is here and just get myself prepared for the day. I’m finding it easier to come up with new and exciting things for the kids to do. It’s encouraging. There are less than 6 weeks left now. I can’t believe how quickly time has gone by this year. I’m still struggling with the idea of leaving this place, but the excitement of seeing people is starting to swell up in my heart. I can’t wait to share my adventures with you all face to face.
My goal is to be back here in Uganda by August. This will only be by the grace of God as funding is always difficult, especially with the economic status of America right now. I love these kids, I love these people, and I love this country. I think when I leave I’ll be leaving part of my heart here. I was talking to a good friend last night about how I’m a bit scared to come home and he smartly pointed out that I was really scared to come here in the first place and now I wouldn’t trade this experience with anything. It’s true, I’m nervous about my return. Partly because I’ve been gone for a year and people move on, but also partly because I’ve changed a lot and I’ve moved on. Also, I’m scared to leave here because there are people here that I truly love. It’s always difficult to leave people you love.
That’s all for now. I’ve put the links to a couple of photo albums at the bottom. Check them out to see what I’ve been up to. I love you all.
Kenya:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051135&id=161500306&l=8cc1952faa
Worship night:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049402&id=161500306&l=bf9ac465b2
Sudan:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049401&id=161500306&l=b3eaade2fc
Random Ugandan pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048572&id=161500306&l=7d3d4dfdb9
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