In a few hours it will be Sunday for me. The promise of a new week is glorious right now. It means that last week is done and gone and that I can move forward. Have you ever had one of those weeks when the weekend seems so far off it's almost just a dream? That was my week this past week. Sunday I was sick and in bed most of the day. When Monday came I wasn't feeling much better, but I was a part of a training conference so I had to face the day with a smile. The conference was all week from 8-5:30. All in all it went well. I met some very lovely people working with the Africa Gospel Church, I enjoyed catch-up time with some that I already knew, and got to see people's unabashed enthusiasm for Jesus and for His Kingdom to be furthered. Praise the Lord.
So even though the conference was good, I found myself very easily distracted. This might have been because the conference was held under a tin roof with hardly any air circulation. I'm not just talking a bit warm. I'm talking equatorial sun beating down on a tin roof that in turn radiates heat onto every inch of your body. Even the bible in my lap was hot from the roof's heat. The week was full of other stuff as well. I'm still teaching at the Center of Hope... twice a week now and of course I love it. My class is by far the best class there. :) Also we are still doing the Wednesday night worship service which is going really well. We're now doing storying for the message and I really think everyone likes it a lot. As I've said before, many who attend are not Christians and storying is a great way to teach the bible. I've enjoyed it a lot so far. This month is a bit hectic for WGM folk because there are so many people coming and going. We've had so many visitors and other people arrive that we've been very busy hosting for meals.
Life has just been very busy. Not bad, not stressful, just busy. Ministry has been going very well and I love knowing that I'm where I'm supposed to be. You know who does not love that I'm in God's will? Satan. And to be honest he's been working over time to bring me down. Unfortunately it's worked a bit. Since all has been going well and I'm somehow a threat and a bunch of new things have popped up just in the past week that are enough to bring me down. Sometimes we are asked to do things by God and we know they won't be easy, but we know they're right. So in doing things that I know are right I'm also paying the consequences of other people's reactions. I can't control how other's respond, but it's still been difficult for someone like me, who's all about relationships. On top of that I keep finding out little things here and there that discourage me.
Since I'm so relational it bugs me when someone writes me off. I just found out that I'm being stifled from doing some stuff because of someone's opinion of me based on something that happened years ago. It just seems silly. I know this is all very vague, but I guess I'm just asking for prayer. I'm trying to be graceful and to do exactly what Jesus wants and because of that I'm finding myself under attack. Would you join me in praying against the evil one? Against his lies and his efforts of disunity amongst God's people?
This is really what I've been focused on all week. God is so good and so faithful and it's refreshing to rest in Him. The only thing that got me through was little times here and there spent in the quiet of His presence. I never want to be too busy to pray. I never want to be too busy to seek the Lord and be in His will. Psalm 63 is probably my favorite Psalm and it's been a great comfort. I encourage you to read it today.
So while I've been a bit down, I'm definitely not out. I'm really looking forward to Holy week and celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm looking forward to an evening of worship Thursday night with a great group of people. I'm trusting the Lord and remembering His promises to me.
One last thing... I just want to remind you how much I love Uganda. I love being here and serving here. I love early morning boda rides when the breeze is still cool and people are moving about preparing for their day ahead. I love the beauty of the tropical land where I live. I love the smells of the morning dew. I took a boda to the conference a few days this week instead of driving. One day on the way home it was beginning to rain a bit, but I loved it. I loved the "cold" air hitting my wet face. My boda driver doesn't even think twice about maybe stopping because it's raining... he knows that I'd rather keep going and ride in the rain. The way that the storms roll in over the hills of Kampala during the rainy season is like artwork. There's so much beauty in the dark, looming clouds, the loud rolls of thunders, and the fierce strikes of lightening. I love coming over the top of Tank Hill and seeing Lake Victoria glittering in the sunlight. I even love the hectic roads... walking up hills with roads only wide enough for a car and a half to fit, having to jump out of the way of on coming cars. I love the little lizards that live in my house with me. It's like having pets that I don't have to care for. I love that when I go visit my goat the little children who live around him run to find him and bring him to me. They love to laugh at me as a pick Nico up and play with him. I love those short times of fellowship when a language barrier doesn't even matter because a loving smile is enough. I love laughing and joking with my "Uganda family". I love playing Uno with the Sudanese guys, knowing that they are cheating and calling them out when I see it. I love seeing people raise their arms high to Jesus, exalting His name. I love Uganda.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Toilet Trials... ;)
I've arrived back in Kampala and I'm so very glad to be home! I was introduced to many awesome ministries in Kenya and I'm very excited to share about them with you. Just not tonight. Tonight I thought I'd share something that has affected me greatly. It's tough for me to even think about right now, but there's value is sharing in each other's trials. So here you go...
The drive from Kenya is a long one. We had already traveled about 7 or 8 hours, crossed the border back into Uganda, and were only about two hours from Kampala when I realized how full my bladder was. We stopped at a gas station in Jinja to grab some snacks, use the potty, and fuel up before the last leg of our journey. I try my best to not drink much if anything while on the road here because the toilets are what I like to call squatty potties. Basically a hole in the ground of the stall. The smell itself is enough to keep me away, but I knew that if I waited two more hours it would not be a pleasant trip. (Roads around Kampala are full of giant, car-eating potholes, it's enough to make the strongest bladder shiver in fear.)
Naturally I carry a roll of toilet paper because there's about a 1% chance that a toilet is equipped with some. So with my TP in hand I ventured off behind the gas station to the "toilets". I opened the first stall that I came to, as they're unisex, and stepped up onto the tile. The first thing I noticed, besides the pungent odor was that the floor was all wet. I'm not talking just right around the hole, the entire stall was wet. I don't know if there were many people before me who completely missed or what, but it was gross. By this time I had to go so bad that it didn't matter. I was already in the stall, I might as well follow through. So I assumed the position, relieved my bladder, and went to head out.
It's at this point in story that I feel compelled to tell you that I was wearing flip flops. Not new ones, three year old flip flops. It's good to be comfy when you travel, right?
So with wet flip flops I put my right foot out to step down onto the cement and be on my merry way back into clean air. Well... the first step is a "doozy" as they say. As soon as my foot touched the glossy, smooth cement it went sliding away from me. What happened next happened so quickly that I don't even remember how I got back on my feet. Of course I slipped and fell; the upper half of me landed in the hepatitis, pee-filled stall and the lower half landed on the ground outside. I don't know how I got up so quickly, but in what seemed like less time than it took me to fall I was back on my feet. The only thing running through my mind was, "I just landed in pee!!" I didn't even think about the pain until I was upright and limping around to the front of the gas station to buy my Mountain Dew. It was then that I looked down, saw the blood on my foot, and realized that I was hurting.
So before I went into the little shop I did a survey of the damage. My big toe on my right foot was bleeding and I couldn't really bend it. My right ankle was sore, but I rolled it about a month ago so I didn't think too much of that. Then I tried to think how I landed because I was pretty sore all over already, but it all happened so fast and I just wanted to get out of the pee so I hadn't even thought it through yet. My left arm had a scrap and was in a good amount of pain, but I knew nothing was broken. I decided to suck it up and move on as though nothing happened. Luckily there wasn't anyone else back by the toilets; no witnesses was a good thing as I'm sure I looked ridiculous. However as I entered the shop I couldn't help but start giggling about what I had just done. Yes I was in pain and totally horrified to be covered in pee, but in reality if I had seen someone wipe out like I did I would have been cracking up. I explained to the others what had just happened, we bought our snacks, and continued our journey home.
As I got back in the car, after I sanitized my hands I began to think about the fact that I could have been hurt a lot worse. By the way I landed on the step I could have either hit my head and been knocked out or broken my left arm. I was so thankful to Jesus that I walked away with just a sprained toe and sore ankle. My mom broke both of her arms slipping on ice this winter, had to have surgery, and is still in physical therapy because of it.
Anyways, after sitting in Kampala traffic we made it home safely. I walked into my house, dropped my bags, said a quick hello to the new roommates, and went and took a shower. When I woke up the next morning my left arm was covered in huge dark bruises. I don't bruise easily and it still looks like I've been beaten, but all in all I'm ok.
So why did I decide to tell you all this embarrassing story? Mainly because it's funny! If something like this happened to you I would expect you to tell me so that I could get a good laugh too. :) I don't get embarrassed that easy and I'm clumsy... we should all benefit from my silly misfortune, right? I hope you've gotten a good mental picture and have been able to laugh a bit. The next time I road trip it in Africa I'm wearing my Nikes.
The drive from Kenya is a long one. We had already traveled about 7 or 8 hours, crossed the border back into Uganda, and were only about two hours from Kampala when I realized how full my bladder was. We stopped at a gas station in Jinja to grab some snacks, use the potty, and fuel up before the last leg of our journey. I try my best to not drink much if anything while on the road here because the toilets are what I like to call squatty potties. Basically a hole in the ground of the stall. The smell itself is enough to keep me away, but I knew that if I waited two more hours it would not be a pleasant trip. (Roads around Kampala are full of giant, car-eating potholes, it's enough to make the strongest bladder shiver in fear.)
Naturally I carry a roll of toilet paper because there's about a 1% chance that a toilet is equipped with some. So with my TP in hand I ventured off behind the gas station to the "toilets". I opened the first stall that I came to, as they're unisex, and stepped up onto the tile. The first thing I noticed, besides the pungent odor was that the floor was all wet. I'm not talking just right around the hole, the entire stall was wet. I don't know if there were many people before me who completely missed or what, but it was gross. By this time I had to go so bad that it didn't matter. I was already in the stall, I might as well follow through. So I assumed the position, relieved my bladder, and went to head out.
It's at this point in story that I feel compelled to tell you that I was wearing flip flops. Not new ones, three year old flip flops. It's good to be comfy when you travel, right?
So with wet flip flops I put my right foot out to step down onto the cement and be on my merry way back into clean air. Well... the first step is a "doozy" as they say. As soon as my foot touched the glossy, smooth cement it went sliding away from me. What happened next happened so quickly that I don't even remember how I got back on my feet. Of course I slipped and fell; the upper half of me landed in the hepatitis, pee-filled stall and the lower half landed on the ground outside. I don't know how I got up so quickly, but in what seemed like less time than it took me to fall I was back on my feet. The only thing running through my mind was, "I just landed in pee!!" I didn't even think about the pain until I was upright and limping around to the front of the gas station to buy my Mountain Dew. It was then that I looked down, saw the blood on my foot, and realized that I was hurting.
So before I went into the little shop I did a survey of the damage. My big toe on my right foot was bleeding and I couldn't really bend it. My right ankle was sore, but I rolled it about a month ago so I didn't think too much of that. Then I tried to think how I landed because I was pretty sore all over already, but it all happened so fast and I just wanted to get out of the pee so I hadn't even thought it through yet. My left arm had a scrap and was in a good amount of pain, but I knew nothing was broken. I decided to suck it up and move on as though nothing happened. Luckily there wasn't anyone else back by the toilets; no witnesses was a good thing as I'm sure I looked ridiculous. However as I entered the shop I couldn't help but start giggling about what I had just done. Yes I was in pain and totally horrified to be covered in pee, but in reality if I had seen someone wipe out like I did I would have been cracking up. I explained to the others what had just happened, we bought our snacks, and continued our journey home.
As I got back in the car, after I sanitized my hands I began to think about the fact that I could have been hurt a lot worse. By the way I landed on the step I could have either hit my head and been knocked out or broken my left arm. I was so thankful to Jesus that I walked away with just a sprained toe and sore ankle. My mom broke both of her arms slipping on ice this winter, had to have surgery, and is still in physical therapy because of it.
Anyways, after sitting in Kampala traffic we made it home safely. I walked into my house, dropped my bags, said a quick hello to the new roommates, and went and took a shower. When I woke up the next morning my left arm was covered in huge dark bruises. I don't bruise easily and it still looks like I've been beaten, but all in all I'm ok.
So why did I decide to tell you all this embarrassing story? Mainly because it's funny! If something like this happened to you I would expect you to tell me so that I could get a good laugh too. :) I don't get embarrassed that easy and I'm clumsy... we should all benefit from my silly misfortune, right? I hope you've gotten a good mental picture and have been able to laugh a bit. The next time I road trip it in Africa I'm wearing my Nikes.
Monday, March 28, 2011
What can I do??
The past couple of weeks have flown by and it's really hard to believe that I've already been in Uganda for over 2 months. With April coming my schedule doesn't seem to be slowing down, but what fun would that be, right? Since I last updated it seems like a million things have come up that I've wanted to post about, but now that I have a minute to sit down and write none of those things are coming to me. Here's a brief update though...
My class at the Center of Hope is going really well and I love my students more each time we meet. I subbed for a friend's class last week and loved her students too. I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the sweetest people I've ever met. These refugees are fantastic and in getting to know them and hearing their stories I find myself completely overwhelmed with the great need this world is in. The worship service has been going well on Wednesday nights and the Lord is moving in big ways. I'm very thankful to Jesus for worship on Wednesdays. The week of the 14th was a very rough week for me. Without going into much detail to protect others, there is a bit of an issue with a youth kid here and I am really needing prayer in the situation. Healing needs to take place, but mostly lives need to surrender to Jesus. I'm reminded more and more that it's not about what I can do, it's about surrendering and allowing God to work. I've found myself on my knees, crying out for the youth very often lately and I'm imploring you to do the same. My heart is beyond broken and the burden I feel is huge. Just as I was typing that out the Spirit reminded me...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Amen, yeah? Yeah. So other than those few things I actually had the chance to take an unexpected vacation last week. Heritage International School was on Spring Break last week which meant all of my teacher friends had time off too. A few of them decided to take a 22 hour bus ride to the coast in Kenya. I joined them and spent 5 days in Mombasa hanging on the beach, snorkeling the reefs in the crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean, and avoiding beach hawkers. I did indeed kiss another camel... they're just too cute. For those of you who followed the blog last time I was here you know I rode a camel which was a life goal of mine. I know... my life goals are just so lofty, aren't they? :) Over all we had a good time. Mombasa is HOT and humid pretty much all the time, but we found a cheap hotel with air conditioning. What a blessing! The last night we stayed at a guest house in Mombasa town. Let's just say it wasn't as nice. Ok, but really it was filthy and sweltering. We didn't get much sleep that night, but it was ok because we spent the next day back at the beach. That next night we hopped on an over night bus back to Nairobi. Not even two benadryl helped me sleep, so by the time we got to Nairobi I was exhausted.
I'm currently in Nairobi doing some work for WGM. It just worked out that I could schedule some meetings here and up country in Kericho before heading back to Kampala. Being here is such a treat... they have everything! Well almost everything. No McDonald's or anything like that. It's just very upscale here compared to Kampala, so it's nice to drive on mostly smooth roads that aren't as covered with trash. They have some really nice restaurants too. Also it's about 10-15 degrees cooler here because it's a higher altitude. Yay for being able to straighten my hair a bit. HOWEVER I do have to say that I much prefer Kampala and I'm missing being there right now. Not only do I miss my friends, but I miss the comforts of my second home. I like being able to hop on a boda and shoot off somewhere. I like seeing familiar faces with huge smiles that light up my days. I like being "home".
Since being here I've been shadowing one of the WGM missionaries who has been here for about 30 years. She's been showing me one of the ministries that she's heavily involved in and helping me to get a good idea of what her life is like day to day. My goal is to assist her and the other WGM missionaries throughout Africa to market their ministries. I'm trying to help them keep their supporters very updated and involved in their ministries. Raising awareness is difficult when you are busy all the time and it's tough to keep all of your supporters up to date, but hopefully with some new printed and web material we'll be more effective at keeping you all posted on things here.
Today we went to a couple of hospitals and orphanages. Obviously I'm not a nurse like these missionaries, but just following them around and watching them work was overwhelming. Like I was saying before, there's SO much work to be done and it's not just in Kenya, Uganda, or just in Africa. It's everywhere. I met a boy today who would have died if it weren't for a missionary discovering an illness. I shook hands with and hugged countless kids and youth who are HIV+ and have AIDs. I heard stories of how and why they are in the situations that they are in. You guys... it's heartbreaking. The longer I'm here, the more stories I hear, the more people I want to help. It's never ending. I'm realizing that I can't fix everything for everyone. I can't solve the world's problems no matter how badly I want to. Tomorrow I'm going into the biggest slum in all of Africa. Imagine... over a million people crammed into a very small area, living in filth, starving, and dying of AIDs and malaria. I can't even think about what I'm going to be feeling tomorrow as I walk through there in my Nikes, with my wallet full of cash, full belly from breakfast, and iPod in my purse.
There is too much need for people to be just sitting around. If every single person did something every day, how much could we change? Even more, if every single person was living out the Great Commission how many more souls would be saved? God provides. He calls His people into obedience and provides.
My heart breaks more every day. The more I invest into people's lives and hear their stories, the more broken I feel. Jesus came and died to save us. He heals the sick and broken. Knowing His healing power and saving grace is the only thing that gets me through each day. I was never promised that it would be easy, but I know that it's worth it. Every time I see a smile on one of the refugee's faces or watch the Sudanese guys strive for greatness from brokenness, I'm reminded of why I'm here. The youth, the refugees, my friends, my family... they need to know Jesus.
Pour Yourself our Spirit, come Jesus.
My class at the Center of Hope is going really well and I love my students more each time we meet. I subbed for a friend's class last week and loved her students too. I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the sweetest people I've ever met. These refugees are fantastic and in getting to know them and hearing their stories I find myself completely overwhelmed with the great need this world is in. The worship service has been going well on Wednesday nights and the Lord is moving in big ways. I'm very thankful to Jesus for worship on Wednesdays. The week of the 14th was a very rough week for me. Without going into much detail to protect others, there is a bit of an issue with a youth kid here and I am really needing prayer in the situation. Healing needs to take place, but mostly lives need to surrender to Jesus. I'm reminded more and more that it's not about what I can do, it's about surrendering and allowing God to work. I've found myself on my knees, crying out for the youth very often lately and I'm imploring you to do the same. My heart is beyond broken and the burden I feel is huge. Just as I was typing that out the Spirit reminded me...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Amen, yeah? Yeah. So other than those few things I actually had the chance to take an unexpected vacation last week. Heritage International School was on Spring Break last week which meant all of my teacher friends had time off too. A few of them decided to take a 22 hour bus ride to the coast in Kenya. I joined them and spent 5 days in Mombasa hanging on the beach, snorkeling the reefs in the crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean, and avoiding beach hawkers. I did indeed kiss another camel... they're just too cute. For those of you who followed the blog last time I was here you know I rode a camel which was a life goal of mine. I know... my life goals are just so lofty, aren't they? :) Over all we had a good time. Mombasa is HOT and humid pretty much all the time, but we found a cheap hotel with air conditioning. What a blessing! The last night we stayed at a guest house in Mombasa town. Let's just say it wasn't as nice. Ok, but really it was filthy and sweltering. We didn't get much sleep that night, but it was ok because we spent the next day back at the beach. That next night we hopped on an over night bus back to Nairobi. Not even two benadryl helped me sleep, so by the time we got to Nairobi I was exhausted.
I'm currently in Nairobi doing some work for WGM. It just worked out that I could schedule some meetings here and up country in Kericho before heading back to Kampala. Being here is such a treat... they have everything! Well almost everything. No McDonald's or anything like that. It's just very upscale here compared to Kampala, so it's nice to drive on mostly smooth roads that aren't as covered with trash. They have some really nice restaurants too. Also it's about 10-15 degrees cooler here because it's a higher altitude. Yay for being able to straighten my hair a bit. HOWEVER I do have to say that I much prefer Kampala and I'm missing being there right now. Not only do I miss my friends, but I miss the comforts of my second home. I like being able to hop on a boda and shoot off somewhere. I like seeing familiar faces with huge smiles that light up my days. I like being "home".
Since being here I've been shadowing one of the WGM missionaries who has been here for about 30 years. She's been showing me one of the ministries that she's heavily involved in and helping me to get a good idea of what her life is like day to day. My goal is to assist her and the other WGM missionaries throughout Africa to market their ministries. I'm trying to help them keep their supporters very updated and involved in their ministries. Raising awareness is difficult when you are busy all the time and it's tough to keep all of your supporters up to date, but hopefully with some new printed and web material we'll be more effective at keeping you all posted on things here.
Today we went to a couple of hospitals and orphanages. Obviously I'm not a nurse like these missionaries, but just following them around and watching them work was overwhelming. Like I was saying before, there's SO much work to be done and it's not just in Kenya, Uganda, or just in Africa. It's everywhere. I met a boy today who would have died if it weren't for a missionary discovering an illness. I shook hands with and hugged countless kids and youth who are HIV+ and have AIDs. I heard stories of how and why they are in the situations that they are in. You guys... it's heartbreaking. The longer I'm here, the more stories I hear, the more people I want to help. It's never ending. I'm realizing that I can't fix everything for everyone. I can't solve the world's problems no matter how badly I want to. Tomorrow I'm going into the biggest slum in all of Africa. Imagine... over a million people crammed into a very small area, living in filth, starving, and dying of AIDs and malaria. I can't even think about what I'm going to be feeling tomorrow as I walk through there in my Nikes, with my wallet full of cash, full belly from breakfast, and iPod in my purse.
There is too much need for people to be just sitting around. If every single person did something every day, how much could we change? Even more, if every single person was living out the Great Commission how many more souls would be saved? God provides. He calls His people into obedience and provides.
My heart breaks more every day. The more I invest into people's lives and hear their stories, the more broken I feel. Jesus came and died to save us. He heals the sick and broken. Knowing His healing power and saving grace is the only thing that gets me through each day. I was never promised that it would be easy, but I know that it's worth it. Every time I see a smile on one of the refugee's faces or watch the Sudanese guys strive for greatness from brokenness, I'm reminded of why I'm here. The youth, the refugees, my friends, my family... they need to know Jesus.
Pour Yourself our Spirit, come Jesus.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Women's Day and Hungry Boys
This past Tuesday was International Women's Day. At the Center of Hope I helped to organize and run the celebration which included women from many different nations. My main job was to preach on John 4, the story of the woman at the well. As I was preparing my message for Tuesday I knew that I had a huge job before me. You see, most of the women who were attending the celebration were of other faiths. They come from countries and backgrounds that execute them if they convert. Many of these women are in my class and also come to the Wednesday night worship service that I lead, so I've gotten to know them a bit over the past two months and I love them! I wrestled with the idea of someone losing a life because of a message that they hear whether it be from me or anyone.
So as I was praying on how to speak to these women, God gave me a peace and simply asked me to trust Him. He reminded me that it is great to die knowing Him than to live not knowing Him. It's still so difficult for me to think about because I've never been threatened with death because of my faith. I do know that there are thousands if not millions of people around the world living in places where it is illegal to speak the name Jesus Christ. Where they have to sneak around and only worship at night in hidden places in order to spare their lives. I'm blessed to have always lived in a place where I can worship the One true God freely, without hesitation.
To be honest with you, I don't remember the exact words that I said, but I do know that the Holy Spirit was present and stirring hearts. The words were not my own... something I prayed for and I know many of you prayed for as well. The celebration included women from 5 different countries. I've never been in the presence of such strong women in my entire life. One of the activities that we had them do was to break up into their countries and write out an example of a day in the life of a women from their culture. From the time they wake to the time they sleep, what does a day look like. I learned so much about each of the cultures and it was so amazing to hear the stories of strength and life from each of the women. It was very cool to see peoples faces as they somehow related to each other's struggles and triumphs. They understood what it was like because they themselves have similar stories. The discipline and the courage it takes to be a woman of their cultures is incredible. Maybe it sounds cheesy, but I've never been more inspired than I was this past Tuesday. I spent 5 or 6 hours with about 50 women who blew my mind.
It wasn't all about what women do though, it was a celebration... so we danced, ate traditional food, drank pop and Eritrean coffee roasted right in front of us, we had henna applied, and we had a fashion show. The laughter shared was refreshing. We had SO much fun.
So when it came time for me to preach, there was no need to be nervous even though all of these people were there risking their lives. God was in control of the whole situation. So I stood before them, told them I was a follower of Christ, and that I would be sharing from the bible which is the true Word of God. I read them the story of the woman at the well. I talked through the Samaritan woman's life, how Jesus knew the truth about her, pointed it out, went out of His way to meet her where she was. I talked about the fact that rabbis were not permitted to speak with women, even their own family in public. And the somehow, it all tied into the fact that we're all adopted into God's family and He is seeking us out. Again, I don't remember all of what I said because it wasn't me, but I do know that the women heard what was said and I'm trusting that seeds were planted in some hearts. Will you join me in praying for these women, for their souls, for their lives?
So aside from Women's Day I've been incredibly busy with lots of other stuff from teaching at the Center of Hope, to working on the Buvuma Island Orphan project, to hanging out with youth and students. It's been really nice to spend so much time with youth again, especially Lino and Angelo. As a "thank you" for sharing their stories with me I took some of the guys out for an all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ dinner at a country club here. It's a really nice place and if it were in the States it would easily be $35 per person, but I only paid about $15 per guy including two bottles of pop each (no free refills in Africa).
In preparation for the ridiculous amount of food to be eaten, I kept my consumption for the day to a bottle of Coke and a little bit of bread. I wanted to challenge the guys to an eating contest. I knew I would loose, but I still wanted to try. By the time we went through the line and filled our first plates up, mine was only half as full as their's were so I had already lost. While we waited for our food to be cooked we laughed and had a good time. I love spending time with those guys, there's never a dull moment. In the end Lino and Hussein ate the most, nearly triple what I was able to eat. So beyond the large amounts of yummy food we ate, it was a good time of relaxing and just hanging out with some awesome guys. Would you join me in praying for their hearts and souls as well?? Round 1
Lino is still smiling before round 2
Taban and I after we were finished
Lino and I (how can he still smile?? yuck!)
Saudi and I
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Jesus, come
Yeah, I know I just posted a couple of days ago, but my heart is heavy and this is an outlet since I don't have my guitar tonight. Normally I'd do some song writing, but my guitar is at the Center because I used it for the worship service, but couldn't carry it on a boda on the way home. Anyways, as I'm leading this worship service I was thinking about how often I don't give my all. I come and do what I've always done, but don't go out of my way sometimes... even when there are beautiful souls on the line. I feel a burden like I've never felt before for certain people to come to know the Lord, but I'm accepting mediocrity from myself. Doesn't God deserve more? Don't these lost souls deserve more? Of course He does and of course they do.
Tonight was my night to speak and like always, I just threw something together and said the right words because I can and because I've been doing it for 15 years. It's so easy to come up with something. And even if my words were true, which they were, I feel like it's much less effective because it was just easy for me. There were people there who are so incredibly grateful for the praise and worship and for the message, but I could have done better. The best thing about this whole night is that God still spoke through me to some and He still softened hearts. I'm so thankful that it's not all about what I can or cannot do. Praise be to God that He is sovereign in my stupidity and Moses-like bumbling. Praise be to God that people show up every week to sing songs, to hear the Word, and to pray. Praise be to God that people show up even though it endangers their lives as it's illegal for some to convert.
For now, for in this time, God has put certain people in my life who I am called to love and serve. More than that though, God gives me opportunities daily to draw nearer to Him. To seek Him with all my being. My prayer tonight is to turn away from the things that distract me from keeping my focus and drawing nearer to Him. I'm praying for these hearts to be softened and for souls to be saved. Jesus has overcome the darkness and I'm praying for more of His light to be revealed. The darkness cannot hide from the light. I'm praying for God to pour Himself out over Africa in such a way that people cannot ignore Him. I'm praying for the Lord to call up His people to come and preach the truth. My heart aches for this continent tonight. It aches for my students, for my friends, and for my family. Jesus, come.
Tonight was my night to speak and like always, I just threw something together and said the right words because I can and because I've been doing it for 15 years. It's so easy to come up with something. And even if my words were true, which they were, I feel like it's much less effective because it was just easy for me. There were people there who are so incredibly grateful for the praise and worship and for the message, but I could have done better. The best thing about this whole night is that God still spoke through me to some and He still softened hearts. I'm so thankful that it's not all about what I can or cannot do. Praise be to God that He is sovereign in my stupidity and Moses-like bumbling. Praise be to God that people show up every week to sing songs, to hear the Word, and to pray. Praise be to God that people show up even though it endangers their lives as it's illegal for some to convert.
For now, for in this time, God has put certain people in my life who I am called to love and serve. More than that though, God gives me opportunities daily to draw nearer to Him. To seek Him with all my being. My prayer tonight is to turn away from the things that distract me from keeping my focus and drawing nearer to Him. I'm praying for these hearts to be softened and for souls to be saved. Jesus has overcome the darkness and I'm praying for more of His light to be revealed. The darkness cannot hide from the light. I'm praying for God to pour Himself out over Africa in such a way that people cannot ignore Him. I'm praying for the Lord to call up His people to come and preach the truth. My heart aches for this continent tonight. It aches for my students, for my friends, and for my family. Jesus, come.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Life Stories
The presidential elections went fairly well. The incumbent won, which was to be expected and things remained fairly peaceful, with just a few small problems in some areas. However last Wednesday the Mayoral elections were held and then postponed due to rioting in the city. There were rumors of ballot boxes being stuffed and lots of corruption. The police stepped in and the riots were fairly small and contained. There was some tear gas and shots fired, but things calmed pretty quickly and it was not near my home. I only heard of the rioting through some locals who work at the Center of Hope with me. All of that to say that school did not resume last Thursday, so my schedule did not go back to normal until today. I am very blessed by the time I had to to spend with youth kids and also with my teacher friends from Heritage who were on break. I love relationship building and a whole lot of that happened in the last couple of weeks or so.
The Mayoral elections have been rescheduled, but I don't know for when. News does not travel fast here and rumors move as quickly as the truth. Whenever they are though, there is sure to be more rioting so I invite you to continue praying for peace in Uganda.
I've mentioned the Ackers and the Sudanese guys before and I got to spend plenty of time with them over break. I asked each of the guys if I could interview them and get their life stories first hand. The truth is, I know the general stuff on all of them, but nothing very specific except for with Lino because of the amount of time I spent with him last time. I would like to point out that it is a huge deal that these guys trust me enough to sit down and share their lives with me. It's a gift from the Lord really because it does not happen often that Africans open up and make themselves completely vulnerable... and these guys have lots of darkness in their past that they don't love to talk about let alone have to think through. I'm blessed by the gift of relationships with each of these extraordinary guys. So far I've only been able to sit down and get three of their stories because the other ones are back in boarding school, but they've agreed to sit down with me next time they are home. I'm not sad that I didn't have time to get stories from all of them within a week because it is emotionally draining to sit and hear these stories.
Obviously I've promised them that I wouldn't share their stories with others, so I can't go into any details. However sitting through tails of being a child soldier, being an orphan, and the way life is/was in Sudan is one of the hardest things I've done in my life. It's heart breaking, gut wrenching, and more horrific than most people can imagine. After the first story I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear anymore, but the Lord has prompted me to do this and He's given me the ability to befriend these guys so I'll keep going. I'm not even sure what I will do with the stories once I have them all written out, but I guess that's for God to decide. Luckily my new iPod has a recorder on it so I won't miss out on any of the details while I take a break from hearing and writing. I feel like this is a huge ministry and doors are continuing to open with these guys. Many are Muslim, some don't really believe in anything. They are such a burden on my heart right now and I would love for you to join me in praying for their souls. Pray for more opportunities to arise to just sit and talk with them, to show them the love of Christ. Some hearts are so hard right now it seems impossible, but God is sovereign and so much bigger than that.
Other than that, I'm still loving my class at the Center of Hope. I love teaching these beautiful people and I love the new relationships that are forming. The Wednesday night worship service grew from 10 to 20 within a week, praise the Lord. The people that are coming are from all different religious backgrounds. What a huge ministry and a huge opportunity to show Christ. Would you join me in praying for this worship service?
This past Saturday was a new friend's birthday, so a bunch of us piled into a van and drove down to Entebbe to spend the day at the lake. Of course we couldn't go in the water, but just being out of the city and sitting on the sand was really refreshing. It was nice to catch up with old friends and hang out with new ones. Mostly it was a nice opportunity to relax. I love being at the beach... I love it even more when you can actually swim though. :) We found a nice beach front place that served food, had music, and had plenty of people swimming and enjoying the water. It's always fun to watch an extreme game of soccer being played while little kids are splashing each other like crazy. The sunset on Lake Victoria is beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't even think about taking pictures, but rest assured that this is not the last weekend I'll be there! :)
I think that it's from me today. I've got to go substitute for some one's English class at the Center now. I hope you're all well these days!
The Mayoral elections have been rescheduled, but I don't know for when. News does not travel fast here and rumors move as quickly as the truth. Whenever they are though, there is sure to be more rioting so I invite you to continue praying for peace in Uganda.
I've mentioned the Ackers and the Sudanese guys before and I got to spend plenty of time with them over break. I asked each of the guys if I could interview them and get their life stories first hand. The truth is, I know the general stuff on all of them, but nothing very specific except for with Lino because of the amount of time I spent with him last time. I would like to point out that it is a huge deal that these guys trust me enough to sit down and share their lives with me. It's a gift from the Lord really because it does not happen often that Africans open up and make themselves completely vulnerable... and these guys have lots of darkness in their past that they don't love to talk about let alone have to think through. I'm blessed by the gift of relationships with each of these extraordinary guys. So far I've only been able to sit down and get three of their stories because the other ones are back in boarding school, but they've agreed to sit down with me next time they are home. I'm not sad that I didn't have time to get stories from all of them within a week because it is emotionally draining to sit and hear these stories.
Obviously I've promised them that I wouldn't share their stories with others, so I can't go into any details. However sitting through tails of being a child soldier, being an orphan, and the way life is/was in Sudan is one of the hardest things I've done in my life. It's heart breaking, gut wrenching, and more horrific than most people can imagine. After the first story I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear anymore, but the Lord has prompted me to do this and He's given me the ability to befriend these guys so I'll keep going. I'm not even sure what I will do with the stories once I have them all written out, but I guess that's for God to decide. Luckily my new iPod has a recorder on it so I won't miss out on any of the details while I take a break from hearing and writing. I feel like this is a huge ministry and doors are continuing to open with these guys. Many are Muslim, some don't really believe in anything. They are such a burden on my heart right now and I would love for you to join me in praying for their souls. Pray for more opportunities to arise to just sit and talk with them, to show them the love of Christ. Some hearts are so hard right now it seems impossible, but God is sovereign and so much bigger than that.
Other than that, I'm still loving my class at the Center of Hope. I love teaching these beautiful people and I love the new relationships that are forming. The Wednesday night worship service grew from 10 to 20 within a week, praise the Lord. The people that are coming are from all different religious backgrounds. What a huge ministry and a huge opportunity to show Christ. Would you join me in praying for this worship service?
This past Saturday was a new friend's birthday, so a bunch of us piled into a van and drove down to Entebbe to spend the day at the lake. Of course we couldn't go in the water, but just being out of the city and sitting on the sand was really refreshing. It was nice to catch up with old friends and hang out with new ones. Mostly it was a nice opportunity to relax. I love being at the beach... I love it even more when you can actually swim though. :) We found a nice beach front place that served food, had music, and had plenty of people swimming and enjoying the water. It's always fun to watch an extreme game of soccer being played while little kids are splashing each other like crazy. The sunset on Lake Victoria is beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't even think about taking pictures, but rest assured that this is not the last weekend I'll be there! :)
I think that it's from me today. I've got to go substitute for some one's English class at the Center now. I hope you're all well these days!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Uganda Elections and Nicodemus the Goat
As most of you are aware, yesterday here in Uganda the polls opened and millions casted their votes for the presidential election as well as some smaller elected roles. The most dramatic vote, being the presidential vote. President Museveni, the current president, has been in power for 25 years and is campaigning for another 5 years. People who were alive during "the wars" are afraid of change as they've seen so much bloodshed and are afraid that someone new might bring more. Mr. Museveni has kept the peace in Uganda for the most part, but of course there is still corruption. The opposition has promised protests if he is defeated, and these protests are almost certainly going to turn violent. I read the local newspaper this morning and with about 15% of voting stations reporting, Museveni has about 73% of the vote. Even though such a small number of the votes have been tallied it's almost a guaranteed win for the president. Museveni has vowed to keep everything peaceful, even saying he will throw the opposition and any protesters in prison if they try and create an uprising, however the tension in the air is thick.
I went down to the school yesterday to play soccer with my Sudanese friends (mainly watch them be crazy, aggressive). There is a polling place nearby and I could hear crowds demonstrating and chanting. I'm not sure how peaceful it stayed because shortly after it started, we left. The point is that when the winner is announced (Sunday at 5pm, 8am Central time in the US) there could be major rioting. Police and military presence is strong right now, but after reading about Egypt I'm not convinced that even they have the ability to keep things calm. There have been some small problems around the country already at polling places yesterday, but so far the death count is low. School has been out since Wednesday and is scheduled to resume this Wednesday pending peaceful election results.
What does all this mean for me? It means a sort of lock-down is in place. Since Wednesday my travel has been limited to my side of the hill. This means I can go hang out with my teacher friends, play at the school, and teach at the Center of Hope. We were told to stock up on food and water in case we can't leave our homes once announcements are made. So I have enough food to last a while, work to do, and movies to watch. Today I am allowed to go over to Buziga which is where my friends, the Ackers live and play volleyball and games with them and their 8 Sudanese guys. Being cooped up is no fun, so I'm really looking forward to hanging with them.
I will do my best to keep you all updated as to what's happening. Even as I type this I don't have electricity and communications are rumored to be shutting down so I will do my best. I may not be able to update for a while. Just know that if anything big does happen, I'll be safe on my compound. Please pray for peace in Uganda and all of Africa. Pray for safety and rational thinking.
Pray also for the refugees who are often persecuted during this time more so than other times. I have recently started working with the Center of Hope (centerofhopeug.org) which is run by the Ackers. I'm teaching an English course focused on reading and writing. My students are refugees from about 5 different countries. I've really enjoyed teaching so far and my plan is to be around the Center helping in whatever way I can as much as I can. The goal is to build relationships, invest in hope, and share Christ. Please join me in praying for the students (of all ages) at the Center of Hope, for the teachers, and for Refuge and Hope International. I am also leading a weekly worship service for the refugees at the Center. Many come from various religious backgrounds, but Jade and Shelah wanted to offer a time to worship the true King of Kings. So a friend and I have stepped up and are in charge of leading that every Wednesday evening. Pray for hearts to be changed and souls to be won.
In other news... I bought a baby goat! I know you're wondering why on earth I would do something like that, so I'll tell you. There are so many people, neighbors and friends, who go without food everyday. A decent sized goat is a treat and will feed someone for a long time. I bought a baby goat because I have really been wanting a pet and I think baby goats are just adorable. I'm not allowed to keep a pet because the mission doesn't want the responsibility of finding it a home once I leave. So I chose to get a goat to raise and love and then when I leave I will give it to someone in need of food. Maybe sounds a bit sick and twisted, but if I want to have a "pet" there needs to be some reasoning behind and I think my reasoning is pretty solid. Nicodemus (Nico for short) is living next door to the Ackers at my friend, Hussein's place. There is plenty of grass and leaves for him there and Hussein feeds him a bottle of milk twice a day.
My journey to get Nico is a bit entertaining and I thought I'd share it with you all. First of all you should know that when I get an idea in my head I have to see it through and see it through as soon as possible. So early Wednesday morning I arranged for Hussein, the Acker's guard to come to town with me to purchase Nico. Not only does he know his way around better, but he obviously speaks Luganda, knows many different markets to look for livestock, and can get a better price because he's Ugandan. So I went to pick him up from the Acker's and while waiting for him, discovered that Lino was awake. Knowing that Lino, being a big dude would be a good asset to bring along even though he doesn't speak Luganda, I asked him to come. Normally I am good with traveling on my own, but being election week I felt safer with him there as well as Hussein. Luckily he was off of school.
So we got into my vehicle and headed to town. At least I thought we were going to town. With Hussein directing me we ended up in an industrial area at a slaughter house and not in town at the big market. I was appalled. This was not my first time at a slaughter house and to be honest I'm a big fan of meat so it doesn't bother me that much, but I was expecting a LIVE goat! We pulled in and were greeted by the sight of many cows and goats hanging from hooks and being chopped to pieces. Not what I had in mind when I thought of goat shopping. I clarified with Hussein that I wanted a live goat and he said he knew what he was doing. So, he and Lino got out and talked to some guys and then went to see what they had to offer. About 10 minutes later Lino came back to the vehicle and started describing one of the goats that had yet to be slaughtered that day. It turns out we arrived a bit too late to save any babies, but there were older ones available. Lino led me to where the live goats were, but I was not impressed. They were too big and I wanted a baby goat to love. So the guy said he would go check again. As we waited we took a picture of our adventure thus far...
We didn't have any luck finding a baby goat, so we traveled on. Keep in mind that being election time, I needed to be home as early as possible so as to avoid any demonstrations in town. It was recommended that I be home no later than 10am. Well on our way to the huge open air market in town, Owino, we got stuck in a huge traffic jam for about an hour. One of the main roads was closed and many people were out and about preparing for the election. It was stand still and wall to wall traffic. A traffic jam in Kampala means fighting with animals, people, vehicles, bikes, and motorcycles. If you stop paying attention for a second you end up in some sort of a wreck. Finally traffic started moving a bit and Hussein was able to direct me to Owino market (I would normally just take a boda and not have to worry about driving). Once in front of Owino, chaos ensued. A thief came running out of the market, followed quickly by pursuers. In situations when crowds and mobs begin to gather the best thing to do is leave. However I was stuck in a vehicle, in a traffic jam with no way out. As the mob began to shout and beat the man I began to panic a bit. I didn't want to be around when the man was killed and it was way unsafe for me to be anywhere near an angry mob. Things heighten very quickly here. Next to me, Lino started to get very anxious and began telling me that we had to get out of there right away. He knew they were going to kill the guy, and he knew that I needed to be out of there. Having a couple of big, strong African guys begin to panic only increased my own anxiety, as things like that don't always phase them because they've seen worse. Lino kept his eyes on the crowd, I keep mine on the road and maneuvered my way out of there. About 50 yards from the mob were police, not paying attention, just directing traffic. It was incredibly scary and I'm so glad I wasn't by myself. Once behind Owino the streets were still packed, my adrenaline was still pumping, and it was hard to concentrate on anything good after seeing the man being beaten. Hussein got out of the vehicle to ask around about goats. Lino and I waited while angry shop owners shooed my vehicle from stopping in front of their shops. Once again, I was so thankful to have Lino with me and that I wasn't sitting alone waiting for Hussein to come back to the vehicle. Finally he returned and said that there wasn't anyone willing to sell a baby goat. He suggested that we go home and get up earlier the next day to go back to the slaughter house. Lino spoke up and mentioned trying another market close to where we live where he and the guys had bought a goat to slaughter for a celebration last year. So despite being a bit traumatized I agreed to going to another market. Luckily Ggaba market is out of downtown, away from traffic, close to home, and much quieter. We got to the market and Hussein once again left the vehicle in search of someone willing to sell a baby goat. We went all around and most said they weren't selling. Finally there was one more place we hadn't tried. I pulled over, Hussein and Lino both got out, talked to the lady, and then called me over. She had agreed to sell one to me for $55. I asked Hussein to tell her that I would not pay that much and that I didn't want the (mzungu) white person price. We got her down to $30, and I got my goat!
Here's Lino untying him...
And here I am, exhausted, 3.5 hours later, holding Nicodemus
Riding with Lino on the way to his new home...
Finally, here are a couple videos of Nico at his new home
I went down to the school yesterday to play soccer with my Sudanese friends (mainly watch them be crazy, aggressive). There is a polling place nearby and I could hear crowds demonstrating and chanting. I'm not sure how peaceful it stayed because shortly after it started, we left. The point is that when the winner is announced (Sunday at 5pm, 8am Central time in the US) there could be major rioting. Police and military presence is strong right now, but after reading about Egypt I'm not convinced that even they have the ability to keep things calm. There have been some small problems around the country already at polling places yesterday, but so far the death count is low. School has been out since Wednesday and is scheduled to resume this Wednesday pending peaceful election results.
What does all this mean for me? It means a sort of lock-down is in place. Since Wednesday my travel has been limited to my side of the hill. This means I can go hang out with my teacher friends, play at the school, and teach at the Center of Hope. We were told to stock up on food and water in case we can't leave our homes once announcements are made. So I have enough food to last a while, work to do, and movies to watch. Today I am allowed to go over to Buziga which is where my friends, the Ackers live and play volleyball and games with them and their 8 Sudanese guys. Being cooped up is no fun, so I'm really looking forward to hanging with them.
I will do my best to keep you all updated as to what's happening. Even as I type this I don't have electricity and communications are rumored to be shutting down so I will do my best. I may not be able to update for a while. Just know that if anything big does happen, I'll be safe on my compound. Please pray for peace in Uganda and all of Africa. Pray for safety and rational thinking.
Pray also for the refugees who are often persecuted during this time more so than other times. I have recently started working with the Center of Hope (centerofhopeug.org) which is run by the Ackers. I'm teaching an English course focused on reading and writing. My students are refugees from about 5 different countries. I've really enjoyed teaching so far and my plan is to be around the Center helping in whatever way I can as much as I can. The goal is to build relationships, invest in hope, and share Christ. Please join me in praying for the students (of all ages) at the Center of Hope, for the teachers, and for Refuge and Hope International. I am also leading a weekly worship service for the refugees at the Center. Many come from various religious backgrounds, but Jade and Shelah wanted to offer a time to worship the true King of Kings. So a friend and I have stepped up and are in charge of leading that every Wednesday evening. Pray for hearts to be changed and souls to be won.
In other news... I bought a baby goat! I know you're wondering why on earth I would do something like that, so I'll tell you. There are so many people, neighbors and friends, who go without food everyday. A decent sized goat is a treat and will feed someone for a long time. I bought a baby goat because I have really been wanting a pet and I think baby goats are just adorable. I'm not allowed to keep a pet because the mission doesn't want the responsibility of finding it a home once I leave. So I chose to get a goat to raise and love and then when I leave I will give it to someone in need of food. Maybe sounds a bit sick and twisted, but if I want to have a "pet" there needs to be some reasoning behind and I think my reasoning is pretty solid. Nicodemus (Nico for short) is living next door to the Ackers at my friend, Hussein's place. There is plenty of grass and leaves for him there and Hussein feeds him a bottle of milk twice a day.
My journey to get Nico is a bit entertaining and I thought I'd share it with you all. First of all you should know that when I get an idea in my head I have to see it through and see it through as soon as possible. So early Wednesday morning I arranged for Hussein, the Acker's guard to come to town with me to purchase Nico. Not only does he know his way around better, but he obviously speaks Luganda, knows many different markets to look for livestock, and can get a better price because he's Ugandan. So I went to pick him up from the Acker's and while waiting for him, discovered that Lino was awake. Knowing that Lino, being a big dude would be a good asset to bring along even though he doesn't speak Luganda, I asked him to come. Normally I am good with traveling on my own, but being election week I felt safer with him there as well as Hussein. Luckily he was off of school.
So we got into my vehicle and headed to town. At least I thought we were going to town. With Hussein directing me we ended up in an industrial area at a slaughter house and not in town at the big market. I was appalled. This was not my first time at a slaughter house and to be honest I'm a big fan of meat so it doesn't bother me that much, but I was expecting a LIVE goat! We pulled in and were greeted by the sight of many cows and goats hanging from hooks and being chopped to pieces. Not what I had in mind when I thought of goat shopping. I clarified with Hussein that I wanted a live goat and he said he knew what he was doing. So, he and Lino got out and talked to some guys and then went to see what they had to offer. About 10 minutes later Lino came back to the vehicle and started describing one of the goats that had yet to be slaughtered that day. It turns out we arrived a bit too late to save any babies, but there were older ones available. Lino led me to where the live goats were, but I was not impressed. They were too big and I wanted a baby goat to love. So the guy said he would go check again. As we waited we took a picture of our adventure thus far...
We didn't have any luck finding a baby goat, so we traveled on. Keep in mind that being election time, I needed to be home as early as possible so as to avoid any demonstrations in town. It was recommended that I be home no later than 10am. Well on our way to the huge open air market in town, Owino, we got stuck in a huge traffic jam for about an hour. One of the main roads was closed and many people were out and about preparing for the election. It was stand still and wall to wall traffic. A traffic jam in Kampala means fighting with animals, people, vehicles, bikes, and motorcycles. If you stop paying attention for a second you end up in some sort of a wreck. Finally traffic started moving a bit and Hussein was able to direct me to Owino market (I would normally just take a boda and not have to worry about driving). Once in front of Owino, chaos ensued. A thief came running out of the market, followed quickly by pursuers. In situations when crowds and mobs begin to gather the best thing to do is leave. However I was stuck in a vehicle, in a traffic jam with no way out. As the mob began to shout and beat the man I began to panic a bit. I didn't want to be around when the man was killed and it was way unsafe for me to be anywhere near an angry mob. Things heighten very quickly here. Next to me, Lino started to get very anxious and began telling me that we had to get out of there right away. He knew they were going to kill the guy, and he knew that I needed to be out of there. Having a couple of big, strong African guys begin to panic only increased my own anxiety, as things like that don't always phase them because they've seen worse. Lino kept his eyes on the crowd, I keep mine on the road and maneuvered my way out of there. About 50 yards from the mob were police, not paying attention, just directing traffic. It was incredibly scary and I'm so glad I wasn't by myself. Once behind Owino the streets were still packed, my adrenaline was still pumping, and it was hard to concentrate on anything good after seeing the man being beaten. Hussein got out of the vehicle to ask around about goats. Lino and I waited while angry shop owners shooed my vehicle from stopping in front of their shops. Once again, I was so thankful to have Lino with me and that I wasn't sitting alone waiting for Hussein to come back to the vehicle. Finally he returned and said that there wasn't anyone willing to sell a baby goat. He suggested that we go home and get up earlier the next day to go back to the slaughter house. Lino spoke up and mentioned trying another market close to where we live where he and the guys had bought a goat to slaughter for a celebration last year. So despite being a bit traumatized I agreed to going to another market. Luckily Ggaba market is out of downtown, away from traffic, close to home, and much quieter. We got to the market and Hussein once again left the vehicle in search of someone willing to sell a baby goat. We went all around and most said they weren't selling. Finally there was one more place we hadn't tried. I pulled over, Hussein and Lino both got out, talked to the lady, and then called me over. She had agreed to sell one to me for $55. I asked Hussein to tell her that I would not pay that much and that I didn't want the (mzungu) white person price. We got her down to $30, and I got my goat!
Here's Lino untying him...
And here I am, exhausted, 3.5 hours later, holding Nicodemus
Riding with Lino on the way to his new home...
Finally, here are a couple videos of Nico at his new home
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