Here is a link to photos. Some of them I took, most I took from other volunteers facebook albums, but all of them give a great idea of my life in Uganda.
http://s753.photobucket.com/home/HannahEAC
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Closing Thoughts
After all the blogposts and all the stories and all the emails, I began to think to myself, I need a summary. I need a concise way to illustrate my mission to people who were not there. I am back in America and people want to know about my trip, but I do not even know how to begin to describe the people I met, the new experiences and the things I witnessed. However even the smallest phrase or word can trigger a sweet memory of Uganda for me and I find it hard to talk about anything but my trip. So without further ado, here is a short list of lessons I learned in Uganda.
1) The first lesson I learned was how to love. It sounds very elementary and before I left, I thought I understood how to love, but now I realize how much I held back. It is funny because while in Uganda, I journaled every single day about my thoughts, feelings and prayers. When I read over it during my long layover in the airport, I discovered one of the reoccuring hopes in my journals is that I would learn how to love more and I did. My hardened shell was broken and I learned how to feel other people's pain more, to feel more joyful for other people's successes and to just be more connected to the emotions of the people around me.
2) Another lesson I learned is that happiness is not dependent on condition, but on your approach to life. I always knew this lesson, but for once I really got to see this for real. So many Americans with great lives are so depressed and so many Ugandans who have experienced tragedy and great loss are completely joyful just to be alive. Life truly is what you make of it.
3) One lesson that suprised me was learning how to worship. I have gone to church my whole life, I have sang countless numbers of praise songs and hymns to the Lord, but for the first time in my life I learned how to sing and mean it. How to reflect on the words and pray while singing and sing with JOY for God. For the first time in my life I could sing and not worry about how terrible my voice is because I was singing for God and God alone. To quote the song, I finally got to the "heart of worship".
4) The power of prayer is another basic lesson I learned. In one of my other blog posts, I spoke of a woman I met in the village being healed of her stomach pains through prayer. That is just one example of all the prayers that were answered that I actually got to see. I am still working on learning how to pray with the unfaltering knowledge that God is capable of answering my prayers, but I am working on it. As it says in the New Testament, Lord I believe, but help my unbelief. It is quite funny how even when you witness God do miracles part of you still holds back and does not believe fully. But, I have learned that prayers are answered, this I KNOW.
5) Lastly, I learned the importance of relationships. My experience in Uganda would not have been nearly as wonderful and positive if I had not have had such a supportive, loving and Godly team at my side. The Ugandan staff did everything possible to help teach me their culture and show me themselves and the volunteers from abroad encouraged and comforted me in times of joy and times of need. Also, I realized how much I love and miss the people I left behind and I pray I cherish the times I spend with my loved ones more and more everyday because time is limited and you will not always have the chance to show people how much you care for them.
Overall, Uganda changed my life and who I am. I say this with one hundred percent certainty and pride. God humbled me, God showed me his power and I am attempting to become more faithful and loving towards him and others everyday. I pray that this change is not temporary, but permanent and I pray this is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I know this will not be my last official mission trip and I realize now that as a Christian, I am always on a mission for Christ through the way I treat others. Thank you so much for reading my blog and praying for me and supporting me, I really truly do love each of you so so much.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3
1) The first lesson I learned was how to love. It sounds very elementary and before I left, I thought I understood how to love, but now I realize how much I held back. It is funny because while in Uganda, I journaled every single day about my thoughts, feelings and prayers. When I read over it during my long layover in the airport, I discovered one of the reoccuring hopes in my journals is that I would learn how to love more and I did. My hardened shell was broken and I learned how to feel other people's pain more, to feel more joyful for other people's successes and to just be more connected to the emotions of the people around me.
2) Another lesson I learned is that happiness is not dependent on condition, but on your approach to life. I always knew this lesson, but for once I really got to see this for real. So many Americans with great lives are so depressed and so many Ugandans who have experienced tragedy and great loss are completely joyful just to be alive. Life truly is what you make of it.
3) One lesson that suprised me was learning how to worship. I have gone to church my whole life, I have sang countless numbers of praise songs and hymns to the Lord, but for the first time in my life I learned how to sing and mean it. How to reflect on the words and pray while singing and sing with JOY for God. For the first time in my life I could sing and not worry about how terrible my voice is because I was singing for God and God alone. To quote the song, I finally got to the "heart of worship".
4) The power of prayer is another basic lesson I learned. In one of my other blog posts, I spoke of a woman I met in the village being healed of her stomach pains through prayer. That is just one example of all the prayers that were answered that I actually got to see. I am still working on learning how to pray with the unfaltering knowledge that God is capable of answering my prayers, but I am working on it. As it says in the New Testament, Lord I believe, but help my unbelief. It is quite funny how even when you witness God do miracles part of you still holds back and does not believe fully. But, I have learned that prayers are answered, this I KNOW.
5) Lastly, I learned the importance of relationships. My experience in Uganda would not have been nearly as wonderful and positive if I had not have had such a supportive, loving and Godly team at my side. The Ugandan staff did everything possible to help teach me their culture and show me themselves and the volunteers from abroad encouraged and comforted me in times of joy and times of need. Also, I realized how much I love and miss the people I left behind and I pray I cherish the times I spend with my loved ones more and more everyday because time is limited and you will not always have the chance to show people how much you care for them.
Overall, Uganda changed my life and who I am. I say this with one hundred percent certainty and pride. God humbled me, God showed me his power and I am attempting to become more faithful and loving towards him and others everyday. I pray that this change is not temporary, but permanent and I pray this is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I know this will not be my last official mission trip and I realize now that as a Christian, I am always on a mission for Christ through the way I treat others. Thank you so much for reading my blog and praying for me and supporting me, I really truly do love each of you so so much.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Week Eight
The end is here. It is 1:30 AM right now and I leave for the airport at 5:00 AM. Then I just have an eight hour flight, a twenty hour layover and another eight hour flight, and then just as quickly as it all started, it will actually be over. I am experiencing so many emotions right now and thinking about so many things, it is quite overwhelming.
I'm not ready to conclude my blog yet though, I'm not ready for my final thoughts and reflections on my trip. Instead, I just want to update everyone on the week and save the last lessons learned for when I am back home in my mosquito net free bed.
I will start off with the village mission in Zirobwe. Wow, what an incredible experience that was. We slept two to a mattress in a room in the Ebeneezer Primary School without electricity or showers for four days. Unlike the Rakai mission, where we traveled to our guest house after building each day, we stayed in the heart of the village, collecting water from the same well as the villagers and living with the community. From one aspect, it was exhausting because we had no time off. There was always another child to play with or another adult to talk to and we were never alone just as a team. But on the other hand, I really began to more fully understand the struggle of life in the village. After a long day of building, having to walk half a mile with a gerry can to the well, pump the water out using maximum exertion and walk half a mile back to the school with a full gerry can (which feels about the same as carrying 4 galloons of milk at once) to shower was dreadful. However, for the villagers this is their life. Retrieving water for bathing, cooking, drinking, cleaning, everything is as natural to them as jumping in the car is for us. Small children carry gerry cans on their heads without so much as a wimper. The work ethic and physical strength is really incredible. Another huge challenge of Zirobwe was the lack of electricity. While a couple of the girls brought flashlights, trying to make our way back to the school after our nightly bonfire or trying to get ready for bed in the dark was difficult and inconvenient. More so, realizing the people of the village do not even have flashlights, but really do navigate in the dark really showed me how blessed I am. I am so thankful for the experience on living under these conditions, and I am also thankful that I was born into the conditions I live in now.
While in the village we split into four teams and built four goat sheds for four families. Each of the goat sheds came with a male and female, in hopes that the goats will reproduce and continue to provide for the families. Building the goat shed was an absolute blast. We built it from mud, sticks and other natural resources. Day one we set up the campsite (which involved hoeing a field for tents and collecting firewood) and finished building the squatty we started working on last week. Day two we built the frame of the goat shed and made mud (which for me meant 20 trips to the well and back while the boys worked on the frame) and day three we stomped on the mud (for around four hours) and filled the walls with mud. Day four we went from house to house and admired the work, prayed with the family and delivered the goats and then headed home. The work was exhausting, but we had a great team and I had so much fun.
Leaving the village was hard yet again. Spending so much time there, we again got to know the kids by name and the community was sad to see us go. The nightly dinners and bonfires were really fun and special times for us all. However, I was happy to be back at the EAC house, my home away from home.
Saturday was a great day as well. I took my sponsored child, Miriam out shopping. Some of the facts I had about her were wrong, she does not want to be a teacher, she wants to be a vet and she is not in p4, she is in p7. Both her parents have passed away and she lives with a relative. She is Muslim and her favorite animal is the cow. She is absolutely gorgeous and such a joy to be around, once you get past her shy exterior. I love everything about her. We went to Owino or the crazy market where everything is cheap cheap cheap. For 100,000 shillings (or about 50 dollars), I bought her 7 shirts, 2 skirts, 2 bras, 5 panties, a backpack, nice shoes, a mathematics set and shoe polish. I also paid for the taxi to Owino for Miriam, Felix and myself and bought us all lunch. But most of all, I enjoyed getting to spend time with Miriam and laughing and sharing with her. It really is amazing how far a few dollars can go for someone else here.
Today has been a quiet day. Church in the morning, goodbyes and packing in the afternoon and the World Cup viewing at a cafe at night. Congratulations Spain! Also, please pray for the people affected by the bombings after the Cup. Luckily, no one on our team faced any dangers, but there are a lot of people out there that need our prayers.
I learned so many lessons just this week alone that I cannot even really begin to comprehend them all at this point. I'm sorry this blog is not more insightful or conclusionery, but hopefully when it is not 2 in the morning of the day I leave my home away from home here in Africa, I will have more revelations to give. I love and miss all of you and I will see you so so soon. Please check my blog within the next week for my final post!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Week Seven
Instead of titling this blog week seven, a more appropriate name may be along the lines of "round one of goodbyes". Since we leave for the village mission tomorrow, this was my last week at all the projects. My last feeding program at a primary school, my last visit to a secondary school, my last trip to Katelemwa, the Babies Homes, Remand Home and Kids in Need. Obviously this week was not the easiest. After going to the same projects every week, I found that at every project, I had one or two children that I was especially close with. At the end of our time together when I would have to tell them that no, I won't be here next week, that same feeling of disappointment and temporary grief overcame both of us. With the children here, it is not just a goodbye for now, but probably a goodbye forever. Even if I come back to Uganda some day, the kids will be older, I will have mixed up their names and faces and they will no longer be at the orphanages or the correctional facilities. Knowing that fact made it tough. However, I can only pray that I made at least a sliver of the impact in their life that they had in mine. I hope by speaking to them, loving them and laughing with them, I somehow am helping them develop into the person that they will become. I know that through their loving me, I have developed into a better person myself. While I am sad, I am choosing to focus on the times we had together, instead of the times I'll be missing out.
Besides saying goodbyes, the team also went to a secondary school one evening this week to play a volleyball game with the kids. Of course, I opted to be a cheerleader once again and we taught a group of about 10 female students stunts, cheers and even attempted a pyramid. As much as I've despised cheerleading my whole life (I mean after all, dancers and cheerleaders are naturally arch nemesis's), it is funny to see how willing and enthusiastically I will cheer with these students. I believe it is their open and loving attitude that makes it possible for all of the volunteers here to do things they never would do normally. It was of course an amazingly fun day. Last week when we played a basketball game with a different secondary school, I also taught a group of amazing young girls some cheers. Two of them, Maria and Kedrine now come by the house during the afternoons sometimes to play games and chat with me. I had to tell them goodbye this week too, and that was another difficult farewell. But again, the painful salutations are worth enduring for the memories that both of us will cherish forever.
Saturday was a great day. I think I discovered my dream job. Felix is in charge of the sponsorship program through Empower A Child and he needed some assistance going to all 130 of the kids homes to check on them. We split into groups and visited the homes of the children located close by in Kampala. Basically, we were welcomed into the children's homes, asked them how school was going, asked the guardians about their needs and struggles, prayed together and spent time showing the children love. We visited four kids in my group and each one of their stories was heartwrenching. Of the four, none of them were living with their parents. One was living with a former neighbor, one was living with an aunt's friend, one was living with an older brother (who was only 18 I may add) and one was living with a relative. While obviously the state of the broken home due to disease and poverty is incredibly saddening, one amazing phenomenon out of this situation was the selflessness of the caregivers. Just imagine, in America, people try countless methods in an attempt to have children themselves when so many children are left parentless, needing love. In America, foster families are PAID to take care of other people's kids. And while neither of these things are necessarily bad, it is just really incredible to see random people, some who barely know the children and are struggling to provide for themselves, take other people's children under their protective wing. It is just part of culture here though, taking care of one another and I love it.
I have also decided to sponsor a child. Her name is Miriam and she's 14. I was supposed to meet her Saturday, but she was in exam. However, next week I am meeting her and taking her shopping for clothes and school supplies. While it is going to be a slight inconvenience for me monetarily, I know that for her, it will absolutely change her life. She could NOT get the education she will now get without a sponsor. I am slightly worried about making ends meet with this new commitment, yet at the same time I know the Lord will provide and there is always something I can give up. I am counting down the days until I get to meet her.
Well this is shorter than usual but I am in a rush, we are about to have our planning meeting for next week. Tomorrow we are going to camp at the village for a quick week to build goat sheds and spend time with the community. Then Saturday we are going to a couple schools, Sunday we rest and Monday (early early early) in the morning I leave for home. While I am so sad to leave this place, I am beginning to get excited to come home and see all of you! I love and miss you all!
"When we have done everything we were told to do, we should say, 'we are unworthy servants and we have only done our duty'" -Luke 17:10
Monday, June 28, 2010
Week Six
Week Six
The weeks go quicker and quicker as another week has already past and the reality that I only have two full weeks left is beginning to really sink in. Every once in awhile I will have a quick flash of memory of something small from the US like smooth roads with stoplights, air conditioning, endless rows of fast food chains and dogs walking on leashes and it all seems so foreign and different. But on the other hand, I really do miss my family and friends and would love to see them again. Today, I said goodbye to seven dear friends of mine, three of which had been here with me for a full six weeks and I realized just how quickly the clock is ticking. I hope these next two weeks I remember to stop and look around and appreciate the beauty around me before it is too late and I am back on the plane, heading back to my old life as a new woman.
Exhausting and unforgettable are the two adjectives I think best describe this week. Monday six new girls came, we had our usual planning meeting and song practice in preparation for the new week. Then we spent a short while in the slums playing games with the kids, chatting with the adults and helping haul handmade pots from point a to point b. I loved the disorganization of the event because it allowed us to really connect on a deeper level with the people of Uganda. Tuesday we went to primary and secondary schools with our usual program and then in the evening we went to Kids in Need. A couple weeks ago at Kids in Need we spent the entire day with the kids, helping around the compound, eating lunch, doing our usual program and giving away clothes. Coming back many of the kids remembered us by name and face and I remembered them as well. While I think it is wonderful to go give attention and love to in need children for a day or even a week, I am beginning to really understand the huge difference a real, consistent relationship can make on a child. When the child asks, "when will I see you again?" and you can answer honestly, "same time next week", the face of that individual brightens in an indescribable way. It is hard to say which one of us is more excited to see each other tomorrow, the kids or the volunteers.
Wednesday we went to Katelemwa (my favorite project!) and to another Secondary School. The day was wonderful and my conversations with the youth continued to challenge and provoke thought in me. However, that evening was the real miracle. We were all exhausted from a couple long days of service, but on the schedule we had planned to go play basketball at a school. Most of us have zero to none athletic talent, it was scorching hot and as I said, we were completely out of energy. However, we tried to put on our happy faces and trudged over to the school with dragging, but willing feet. When we arrived, what seemed like the entirety of the school had gathered to witness the Muzungus attempt to play basketball. I, of course, volunteered my cheerleading services by making up ridiculous cheers and bringing out the secret weapon, my high kick from the old drill team days and encouraged the EAC team to "Be Aggressive, be be aggressive, b-e-a-g-g-r-e-s-s-i-v-e." The EAC girls ended up winning by some miracle and the EAC boys lost miserably, but all participants had fun. The amazing part was the relationships built during the event. After the EAC girls beat the students, the students were eager to get some tips from the girls and many of them spent the entire next game chatting and joking and loving one another. Also, some of the girls enjoyed watching me cheer and came over to help cheer on the EAC team. We ended up laughing and bonding and one of them, Kedrine, even wrote me a note which she delivered to the house telling me how much she loved cheering and talking with me. Hopefully before I leave she will stop by the house again and we can spend more time together. We left the school that day even more exhausted, but in complete euphoria from the impact we felt we made on the students and the impact their humble welcome had on us. I would LOVE to have that event again.
Thursday was the usual, Sanyu Babies Home and Remand Home and while I know I am already getting very lengthy, I of course have another story. At Remand Home, I met a 17 year old named Randall and we became quick friends. He had been there for about 3 months and only has one month before he is released. During the message, Molly, a lovely volunteer here with me, shared a bible verse and I saw Randall frantically trying to jot down the entire verse on a ratty piece of scratch paper. He does not have a Bible, yet he desires a closer relationship with God. The young man oozed spirituality and a desire to know more about God, yet he lacked the tools. It made me think of all the Bibles sitting gathering dust in the living rooms of spiritually stunted Western homes and how much we take it for granted. It made me think of all the times I have grudgingly done my daily quiet time in the Bible out of habit and obligation instead of a true desire to know more. God blessed us with the amazing text of the Bible and we take it for granted while other people in the world are left praying their hand can keep up with the speakers mouth. I plan to bring Randall a Bible this Thursday and I know with utter confidence that he will treasure and protect that gift more than I ever would.
Friday we went to Zairobwe (the village) and weeded corn, built a squatty potty and cut grass with slashers. The morning dragged on and by the afternoon, we were tired and feeling ready for a cold shower and a warm bed. However, we decided to stay for the afternoon and go talk to the residents of the village with the help of the Ugandan staff members on our team. First, we had promised one of the ladies we brought mattresses, mosquito nets and gerry cans to last week that we would bring her a Bible in Luganda, as she was a recent Christian and desired to grow. Then after walking back from her hut, we ran into another woman who had become a Christian the very first time we went to Zairobwe about a month ago and I had been one of the three that had prayed with her. She had told us of a debilitating stomach pain she had been having and we prayed over that too. However, looking back I know in my heart I doubted. I said the prayer to heal her out of obligation and because she asked, but my heart was thinking, this woman needs a doctor. Anyway, flash forward a month and the woman, Margaret ran up to me (which is incredibly forward and unusual for a woman in the village) and fell at my feet and hugged my waist and said that my prayer had cured her and that she had not felt any stomach pain since that day. I was completely caught off guard and shocked at the news, but amazed to see the transformation in this woman. I remember the first time I met her, she never ONCE looked me in the eye and sat timidly on the mat, letting her husband talk for her. Now, her she was, smiling, looking me in the eye, speaking boldly for Christ. She was testifying to her friend, telling her that God is real and that he does heal because she saw it in herself. I realized in this moment how weak my faith is. She was healed NOT because I prayed, but because she believed that God could heal her. I can take no credit for it because I know in my heart, while I said the prayer, I was not saying it believing it could happen. But she listened to the prayer knowing it would happen and it did. I honestly believe it was a miracle. And while I am a Christian, so you would think I am quick to say miracles happen and people are healed of physical pains without doctors, I realize now that up until this point, I do not think I really truly believed it. And to some extent now, I know I still doubt. But the reality is, God does heal and now I have seen it happen. It was an incredible day. It is funny how the tables turn. Margaret looked at the EAC team for spiritual guidance and examples in the beginning and now I see her as my spiritual leader, my teacher and the person I want to become in my walk of faith.
The rest of the weekend pales in comparison to my experience Friday of course, so I will skip the details. I wish my words could do justice to the experiences I am having here. I wish all of you could step into my skin right now and see what I see. However, you cannot so I hope my small stories and quick overviews can at least shed some light onto what this is like. It is all interconnected, it is not black and white and it is real.
"Then Peter began to speak, 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right" -Acts 10:34-35
I miss all of you so much and I cannot wait to see you.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Week Five
For the first time since being here, this week has not been characterized by laughter and thanksgiving, but instead I have been in a mood of deep thinking and painful lessons. While these times are not the times I am going to look back on with a smile, I know I will look back and see that they have made me stronger and changed me.
The week was fairly typical, Monday was staff meeting and a day of rest after Rakia, Tuesday we went to two schools, Wednesday we went to Katelemwa, a school and had team bonding. Thursday we went to the Babies Home and Remand Home and Friday we went to Zairobwe (the village) to deliver supplies such as mattresses, mosquito nets, gerry cans and hoes. The supplies were for families we talked to a couple weeks before. Friday was my favorite day for sure. Seeing the grateful faces of the families and playing games with mobs of hyper children in a village are two sensations I wish everyone could experience.
One conversation I had this week at Remand Home is really on my heart to share with everyone through this blog. In small groups, we were talking with some of the boys about what they were struggling with and questions they had. One of the boys started asking questions about America and it became clear that he thought everyone in America was wealthy, happy and living the perfect life. His perception of America was almost identical to the view held by so many of the Ugandans I've interacted with thus far. America has been idealized here as the promise land, the answer to all problems and a refuge. I remember last week in the village when we went to a school, the headmaster told the students to study hard so that they could get an education and move to America for a better life. This sentence really disturbed me. Obviously the part about studying hard I agreed with, but I do not agree that America is the answer. After being here for over a month, I am noticing that despite all the poverty, disease and corruption, Uganda has so many amazing points. Also, being here has reaffirmed some of the major flaws of America. In Uganda, familial pride is such a huge part of culture. Aunts take their nieces and nephews and raise them as their own children. In fact, many children do not see a distinction between their brother and their cousin because their parents do not see a point in telling them the difference. The neighborhood children all play together and support each other from birth until adulthood. The people live in small huts and houses which of course causes problems from a lack of privacy, but at the same time can be a blessing. In American homes, each child can go into their separate bedroom, get on their personal video gaming system and just maybe, if their family is close, they will wander downstairs for dinner. We may be tech-savvy and well adapted to modern society, but we are missing out on relationships. Half of us do not even know who our neighbors are. Maybe we know the immediate neighbors on either side, but what about the house three houses down? We are so independent and self sufficient in America which is incredible, but is that really a good thing? Sometimes I think the high prevalence of loneliness, depression and emptiness in America is linked to the lack of time we spend loving each other. Sure we have friends and family and coworkers, but how much time do we spend talking to the person next to us in the waiting room. When was the last time we asked "How are you?" and wanted a response more in depth than "Fine, thanks". When was the last time we gave a more in depth response or actually allowed ourselves to be vulnerable enough to share our sufferings with a friend. Both Uganda and America struggle with the issues of poverty, disease and corruption, but at the end of the day, just because America has less of it, it does not make it a superior country. How do you measure a country, by its values, its relationships or its wealth? It is all so subjective. I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a superior country. There is no preferred place to live. In both countries you will experience both good and bad things. In both countries, you will have areas to boast about and areas you will lower your head to hear. In both countries you will experience joy, laughter, grief, anger and frustration. There is just not a difference. I still believe that we should do EVERYTHING possible and put our entire hearts into trying to lessen the miseries people experience in both countries. However, the world is not perfect and never will be, so we must choose to make the best of whatever situation we are in. We need to keep a positive attitude and turn to God with our troubles. We need to give our neighbors a helping hand and fight for equality while still remembering to focus on the positive things and the blessings of life. In the midst of all the problems, beauty is found. Beauty is found in the acts of kindness we show each other and the times when we lower ourselves for someone else. You can choose to see the world as a lost cause, or you can choose to look at the beautiful moments for inspiration. We are all people, we are all connected and we are all interdependent. There is no better country, no better person, no better life. There is only the body of Christ, which is people. We are in it together. I think the young man, Brad, I was talking to summed it up best when he said, "It's like in Kampala. The people from the village always think the people from the city have such great lives and are so wealthy. However, when they actually go to the city, they see that the city has just as many problems as the village, they are just different problems."
I know this does not give a lot of insight into how I spent my week or give any heart wrenching stories, but I can only put into words the thoughts in my head and this is the one concept consuming my thoughts lately. I love and miss each of you and please stay strong in God, he is our refuge.
"I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord, apart from you, I have no good thing'" -Psalm 16:2
"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourself were suffering" -Hebrews 13:3
To my family: I love every single one of you so much and I have been praying for you and thinking of you every single day since I've been here. Part of me really wishes I was there with you right now as we experience the grief of losing a loved one together, but I know I am hear for a reason and I will be back soon. Thank you for everything you have done for me, words cannot express my gratitude.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week Four
Home sweet home. Sort of. From Tuesday to Sunday we spent time in the village of Rakai (about a four hour drive away) building a home and visiting schools. Now, I'm back in Kampala, back to my room and it really feels like I'm at home. It is funny how quickly we adapt to new situations and long for familiarity.
Before I get into the details of the village, I want to share my experience on Monday. We spent the day at Kids In Need. Usually when we go to the projects we either do our program of praise and worship or we help out with chores around the facility, but we rarely do both at one project. But this time, we spent the whole day at Kids in Need and the experience was incredible. In the morning we helped the staff out with clean up and some chores and had a blast. The kids helped us and sang and dance with us while we worked and the relationships built in that time far exceeded the relationships we build doing the usual program. Then we made them lunch and did our usual praise and worship program which was such a celebration as usual. Lastly, we handed out brand new clothes to the kids along with some supplies and then headed out. When the kids switched out of their torn up shirts and shorts and put new clothes and shoes on their feet they literally stood taller with pride. When these kids are living in scrapes for clothing and with such little attention, it is very easy to see the toll it takes on their self esteem. Conversely, it is easy to see how much of an impact we are making by serving the kids. It was an awesome day, but it did not even compare to my time at the village.
Oh the village. I do not think it is possible for me to explain how life changing of an experience it was. We stayed at a small house about thirty minutes outside of the building site which was quite an adjustment, but in a good way. We slept twelve to a room, with six mattresses in each room (which if you do the math is two to a single sized mattress) and did not have running water. But the close quarters and less than ideal conditions just made us closer as a team. At the village, we built a house for a widowed mother of four who had been living in her cooking hut. Her original hut was about the size of a laundry room and one mattress probably could not have fit in it. Biologically, she had only two children and the other two she took in when a family member died. However, she was so loving that it would be impossible to tell the difference between her biological and adopted kids. She deserved that house more than anyone I have ever known. It was a humble two room brick house, but to her, it was a blessing beyond belief.
The week consisted of exhausting physical labor and long days, but every ounce of sweat dripped with compassion. I thought we would be building a house to make a difference for one family, but I am beginning to realize the impact our actions had on the entire community. For instance, because the family lived off a path of the main street, the truck delivering supplies could not get very close to the house. So instead of just building the house, we first had to haul 4000 bricks and huge piles of rocks, sand and gravel to the site by hand, wheelbarrow and bucket. Faced with this daunting task, we were originally quite discouraged, but after a few minutes, a swarm of kids from the neighborhood came to help. Thirteen year old girls balanced bricks four at a time on their head and even the youngest kids in the group were willing to take a brick down. While part of me felt the alarms of child labor going off in my head, the other half of me realized the kids just wanted to be a part of something bigger than them. We showed them love and taught them the value of serving others. In Uganda, doing service for people without compensation, especially for someone you are not related to is very uncommon and so many many residents of the village stopped by to see if the rumors were true. Many just could not understand why the crazy Christians would do this, but at the same time, it was obvious they respected our willingness to help.
Since we had such a large team, the entirity of my stay at the village did not just involve physical labor, but also playing with children and visiting schools. The schools were an interesting experience to say the least. At one school, the entire student body welcomed us with song and dance and the other school was a school exclusively for orphans. I enjoyed both thoroughly. But the real memories came from the neighborhood kids, the same ones who helped with the bricks. While most spoke Luganda and very little English, with the help of the Ugandan staff and frequent gestures, we managed to grow quite attached to the kids. We tickled them and played games with them and held them and showed them love. I would not trade those moments for the world.
Which brings me to my story of the week. This time his name is Brian. I met Brian on Thursday when I saw him peering behind a tree at me shyly. I gestured at him and said "Jungu" or "Come" and I started to talk to him. He was a 12 year old currently in school with fairly good english skills, but the conversation was still strained from a language barrier. I found out he liked football (or soccer for my American friends) and beat boxing and wanted to be a pilot. The next day, Friday, I was at the schools so I did not go to the worksite, but Brian was looking for me. He found my dear friend, Emily and told her he wanted to see me because he had brought me sugarcane. She promised him I would be there tomorrow and passed along the sugarcane. Saturday, our last day at the site, Brian was back and excited to see me. I told him I loved the sugarcane and we chatted and did our secret handshake and he asked me if he could bring me maize (aka corn) the next day. I told him we were going back to Kampala and then I would be going to America two weeks later and he began to get teary eyed. I learned more about his story with the help of Sheila, one of the Ugandan staff members and found out both his parents had died and he was living with a relative. Brian was longing for love. He really wanted to give me another gift so he left and ran the fifteen minutes back to his home, changed out of his schools clothes, grabbed three stalks of maize and ran back. Meanwhile, we were blessing the house and gathering our supplies to leave and all I could think was if Brian does not make it back, I will have broken his heart. But as I was walking up the hill to the van I saw him jump out from behind a tree and I gave him the biggest hug and kiss on the head and we both cried. I also got Sheila to get his contact information, so hopefully before I leave I can find a way to give him a small gift, like a pair of shoes and a note. This boy absolutely changed my life. I have just as much love for him as I do some of my closest friends in the world, and I don't even know his last name.
Well I have so many more stories yet again, but I do not think all the stories and memories can ever be shared, so I will leave you with just this. I have been here for a month now and I have exactly one month left and I just feel so thoughtful. I am discovering so much and God is teaching me to love and serve in a way I've never known. I wish every single one of you could be in my shoes experiencing this with me. It truly is life changing. Please keep me in your prayers. I love and miss each of you more than you could know.
And here's the verse of the week from me. Enjoy :D
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves." -Philippians 2:3
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Week Three
Time is flying by here. I have a new family in the EAC team, I am learning so much about the world and discovering myself. In the US everything is so rushed and planned and synchronized that no one has time to really reflect on life. Here in between long bumpy car rides and exhausted afternoons at the house, I am left with so much time to really wonder and dream, even in the midst of living with 28 people in a small home. As much as I miss the American comforts of Cheez Its and sleeping without a mosquito net, I know when I'm back in the states, I will be truly longing to live at the Ugandan pace again. As I am reflecting, I have started to question what I value and prioritize in the world and I have also reaffirmed my core beliefs. I just hope I can somehow figure out how to bottle up the lessons I am learning here and bring them back to America to apply to my everyday life.
This week has been a fairly typical week. Tuesday we went to a primary school for a feeding/worship program and a secondary school in the afternoon. Going to the schools really is a blessing. These kids are in classes of fifty plus and are starving for the attention of an adult, so being able to deliver that undivided attention to them is a very humbling experience. Wednesday we went again to my favorite project, Katelemwa and saw the most loveable kids in the world. As corny as it sounds, I am convinced that God gave kids who suffer from disabilities a greater ability to love and be loved than kids who don't. Thursday we went to a new babies home (where we could actually hold the babies!) and then again to Remand Home. Friday we cleaned up the house and the street (which was a lot more work than it sounds) and Saturday, we drove to the source of the Nile in Jinja for a day of relaxation and bonding as a team. Sunday, after church a few of us went to the Market in Owino (which makes Chinatown in New York look tame) then to a random food court in a mall for an overpriced pizza. However, after eating posho, mateoke, rice, beans and pineapple for two meals a day every day, we all wanted a taste of American food again, no matter what the price, and it tasted SO good.
The new babies home I went to this week, Nssaymba was really a treat. When we walked in, a swarm of twenty kids aged 2 to 4 literally ran into our arms, and lucky for me, the tallest,heaviest, oldest boy ran straight to me. His name was Patrick. I am not kidding, this kid weighed 75 pounds while everyone else weighed like 30. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but the point is, the kid was heavy. Then the rest of the team went to do some physical work around the home and I was asked to look over the 20 kids at the playground and keep them from wandering off. I assumed one of the ladies who worked there would be with me and the playground was fenced off, but I was wrong on both counts. The precious big boy who ran into my arms at the beginning soon became my arch nemesis when he discovered his favorite game was to bolt out of the playground to go get a good look at the Muzungus cleaning the yard. And of course whenever I ran after him to bring him back, several of the toddlers would follow. Not to mention, when I finally caught this boy, he would refuse to walk and I would have to carry him back. He was laughing and smiling and having a great time, but I was feeling a little ticked at him, to say the least. Anyway, eventually more of the volunteers came and helped me and it settled down and after we fed the kids breakfast, as a group, we just sat with them and played and Patrick came and plopped right into my lap and turned into the sweetest boy in the world. I would tickle him and his face would be overcome with contented joy. After about three seconds of him in my lap, I completely forgave the irreparable damage he had made on my back and patience earlier in the afternoon. Then when it was time to leave, I told him I had to go and in perfect english he said "I'll miss you!" and that was the closest I've come to crying since I've been here. That little troublemaker stole my heart and taught me so much. So many people in this world we perceive as a nuance, a troublemaker or a general disturbance to society. We only see them from our perspective and look at how they are imposing on us instead of how we can serve them. But when we humble ourselves and take the time to love on these people, their rough exterior opens up and we can see their ability to love. I won't forget Patrick and if you want to put a face to a name, he is the one in my lap in my profile picture on the right.
Remand Home was also incredible this week. In the small group discussion, we asked volunteers to share their story and their testimony and wow, was I unprepared for that. Many of the kids are in the juvenile correctional facility for crimes they did not commit or petty crimes that in their situations, are easy to understand,such as theft. But one boy in my group gave a chilling, but eyeopening story. He told about how growing up, his mom was awful to him and he absolutely hated her. In fact, his hatred for her made him hate all women and all girls. He began to seek out girls to beat and hurt because he felt so much hatred. Eventually one day he was caught trying to break into a woman's home and arrested and subsequently, taken to Remand Home. At the home, he learned about the Gospel and learned right from wrong and swears he will never ever hurt another person again, and I believe him. But, he continued with his story and said that deep down, he still felt the desire to hurt women. God had healed him of his actions, but not his thoughts. I know some of you probably do not want to read this story because it seems incomplete and depressing, but to me, it is so real. The fact that the boy could admit, in a room full of women, that he was still plagued by these thoughts was such an honest and genuine thing to do. Also, it made me really think about his mother and what she must have done to him. What kind of sadistic things could a person do to a child to turn them into a violent, hateful person. And what kind of things happened to the mother to turn her into such an unbearable person to live with. The influences we have on people can really really hurt a person and alter the direction of their life, especially with young kids. Yet on the flip side, the positive interactions and positive influences we have on people can also heal a person and redirect their lives. It seems elementary to just now realize the impact Empower A Child is having on the lives of these children just by investing time in their lives, but better late than never perhaps. At the same time, knowing this is also a call to action and bears the burden of a lot of responsibility, not just on the mission field, but in life. Every single interaction we have with another human can make or break their life. I think we should all keep this in mind.
I have so many more stories and reflections from this week, but I know the power of being concise and brief, so I will leave my other stories for a later date. Tomorrow we are leaving for the village to build a house, so we will leave the modern westernized house with electricity, running water and beds in the city for a more humble house in the village away from distraction. I am excited for what this experience will teach me.
And I'll leave you with a verse.
"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth."
-Ecclesiastes 11:9
Take heart, if you are reading this blog right now, you have so much to be thankful for. You can afford a computer, you can read and you have at least one person who cares about you (me). Life gets really really hard sometimes, this I know, but we are blessed in so many ways.
I love and miss all of you so incredibly much.
This week has been a fairly typical week. Tuesday we went to a primary school for a feeding/worship program and a secondary school in the afternoon. Going to the schools really is a blessing. These kids are in classes of fifty plus and are starving for the attention of an adult, so being able to deliver that undivided attention to them is a very humbling experience. Wednesday we went again to my favorite project, Katelemwa and saw the most loveable kids in the world. As corny as it sounds, I am convinced that God gave kids who suffer from disabilities a greater ability to love and be loved than kids who don't. Thursday we went to a new babies home (where we could actually hold the babies!) and then again to Remand Home. Friday we cleaned up the house and the street (which was a lot more work than it sounds) and Saturday, we drove to the source of the Nile in Jinja for a day of relaxation and bonding as a team. Sunday, after church a few of us went to the Market in Owino (which makes Chinatown in New York look tame) then to a random food court in a mall for an overpriced pizza. However, after eating posho, mateoke, rice, beans and pineapple for two meals a day every day, we all wanted a taste of American food again, no matter what the price, and it tasted SO good.
The new babies home I went to this week, Nssaymba was really a treat. When we walked in, a swarm of twenty kids aged 2 to 4 literally ran into our arms, and lucky for me, the tallest,heaviest, oldest boy ran straight to me. His name was Patrick. I am not kidding, this kid weighed 75 pounds while everyone else weighed like 30. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but the point is, the kid was heavy. Then the rest of the team went to do some physical work around the home and I was asked to look over the 20 kids at the playground and keep them from wandering off. I assumed one of the ladies who worked there would be with me and the playground was fenced off, but I was wrong on both counts. The precious big boy who ran into my arms at the beginning soon became my arch nemesis when he discovered his favorite game was to bolt out of the playground to go get a good look at the Muzungus cleaning the yard. And of course whenever I ran after him to bring him back, several of the toddlers would follow. Not to mention, when I finally caught this boy, he would refuse to walk and I would have to carry him back. He was laughing and smiling and having a great time, but I was feeling a little ticked at him, to say the least. Anyway, eventually more of the volunteers came and helped me and it settled down and after we fed the kids breakfast, as a group, we just sat with them and played and Patrick came and plopped right into my lap and turned into the sweetest boy in the world. I would tickle him and his face would be overcome with contented joy. After about three seconds of him in my lap, I completely forgave the irreparable damage he had made on my back and patience earlier in the afternoon. Then when it was time to leave, I told him I had to go and in perfect english he said "I'll miss you!" and that was the closest I've come to crying since I've been here. That little troublemaker stole my heart and taught me so much. So many people in this world we perceive as a nuance, a troublemaker or a general disturbance to society. We only see them from our perspective and look at how they are imposing on us instead of how we can serve them. But when we humble ourselves and take the time to love on these people, their rough exterior opens up and we can see their ability to love. I won't forget Patrick and if you want to put a face to a name, he is the one in my lap in my profile picture on the right.
Remand Home was also incredible this week. In the small group discussion, we asked volunteers to share their story and their testimony and wow, was I unprepared for that. Many of the kids are in the juvenile correctional facility for crimes they did not commit or petty crimes that in their situations, are easy to understand,such as theft. But one boy in my group gave a chilling, but eyeopening story. He told about how growing up, his mom was awful to him and he absolutely hated her. In fact, his hatred for her made him hate all women and all girls. He began to seek out girls to beat and hurt because he felt so much hatred. Eventually one day he was caught trying to break into a woman's home and arrested and subsequently, taken to Remand Home. At the home, he learned about the Gospel and learned right from wrong and swears he will never ever hurt another person again, and I believe him. But, he continued with his story and said that deep down, he still felt the desire to hurt women. God had healed him of his actions, but not his thoughts. I know some of you probably do not want to read this story because it seems incomplete and depressing, but to me, it is so real. The fact that the boy could admit, in a room full of women, that he was still plagued by these thoughts was such an honest and genuine thing to do. Also, it made me really think about his mother and what she must have done to him. What kind of sadistic things could a person do to a child to turn them into a violent, hateful person. And what kind of things happened to the mother to turn her into such an unbearable person to live with. The influences we have on people can really really hurt a person and alter the direction of their life, especially with young kids. Yet on the flip side, the positive interactions and positive influences we have on people can also heal a person and redirect their lives. It seems elementary to just now realize the impact Empower A Child is having on the lives of these children just by investing time in their lives, but better late than never perhaps. At the same time, knowing this is also a call to action and bears the burden of a lot of responsibility, not just on the mission field, but in life. Every single interaction we have with another human can make or break their life. I think we should all keep this in mind.
I have so many more stories and reflections from this week, but I know the power of being concise and brief, so I will leave my other stories for a later date. Tomorrow we are leaving for the village to build a house, so we will leave the modern westernized house with electricity, running water and beds in the city for a more humble house in the village away from distraction. I am excited for what this experience will teach me.
And I'll leave you with a verse.
"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth."
-Ecclesiastes 11:9
Take heart, if you are reading this blog right now, you have so much to be thankful for. You can afford a computer, you can read and you have at least one person who cares about you (me). Life gets really really hard sometimes, this I know, but we are blessed in so many ways.
I love and miss all of you so incredibly much.
Some Photos
Fixing up a well in the slums (we got a little muddy)
Cooking and serving lunch at a school
Some of the group at a soda shop nearby with an amazing view of Kampala
Tickling my favorite boy at the Sambia Babies Home
Clearing land in the village
In the slums with some kiddos
Listening to the message at Kids In Need
Remand Home
On Safari (look at how close I am to a man with a gun!!!)
At the Source of the Nile in Jinja
Hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!!
All the girls before church on a Sunday
Cooking and serving lunch at a school
Some of the group at a soda shop nearby with an amazing view of Kampala
Tickling my favorite boy at the Sambia Babies Home
Clearing land in the village
In the slums with some kiddos
Listening to the message at Kids In NeedRemand Home
On Safari (look at how close I am to a man with a gun!!!)
At the Source of the Nile in Jinja
Hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Week Two
Well another week has gone by and unfortunately it is going by too quickly!
On Tuesday, we went to a slum in Kampala and fixed up a well. I used a hoe to shovel out large piles of dirt,grass and trash. It was so refreshing to do hard physical labor with a tangible result for the people in the slum. That afternoon, we walked around the slum and talked to the residents about their needs and spiritual life and prayed with them. Spending time at the slum was incredibly eye opening. Many of the mothers there not only care for their own children, but also raise their nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors children as their own. The selflessness and cooperation is amazing.
Wednesday we started off the day at my favorite project, Katalemwa and I really enjoyed it again. I wish I could describe the joy and smiles on the faces of the children there when we walk into the room, but it is completely indescribable. Later that day we went to a Secondary School and before we started our program, I spent some time mingling with the students. They were all between ages 14 and 20 and were so ambitious and driven. The classroom was crowded and the supplies were ratty, but every student there really valued their education and learning. American students could take a page out of their book.
Thursday we started off at the Babies Home and then Remand Home in the afternoon. At the Babies Home I helped with laundry and the way of hand washing here left my hands bloody and blistered. Yet at the same time, it was refreshing to really put work into something and see the results. The love of the children at the Babies Home and the excitement and hope in Jesus at the Remand Home again left me in awe.
Friday we went to the village and cleared land for the future Training Center. I think I worked the harder that morning than I have worked in a long long time. Everything here just takes so much effort,that you have to really put your heart into everything. Then we walked the perimeter of the land and prayed over the people and land. It was a great day, and we all slept wonderfully that night.
Saturday was a free day so we went into the Market and I bought a bunch of souverneirs!!! Everything was very cheap (which I love) and beautiful! Also, we took public transportation (vans) there, and it was only 1000 shilllings each way (about 50 cents). It was a lot of fun. Then that night, we sat around a laptop and watched the Blind Side and for awhile, it felt like we were all back at home.
Sunday we went to church and I LOVED the praise and worship. Everyone here sings with so much passion and dances around and the focus is really on God, not on how well you sing. Then in the afternoon we all split the price of gas to drive to Lake Victoria and spent the day on the beach. We swam and laid out in the sun and walked the beach and just had a great time relaxing.
Overall, it has been a week full of hard physical labor and lots of relaxation. I am learning so much about the culture and myself. I miss everyone at home, but I'm not homesick. A group of four left today and I realized how grateful I am to be here for two months, I would not have been ready to leave today.
Sorry this is choppy, six people are sitting in the room talking to me and they are lovely.
Love all of you!
Also, special shoutout to my grandma, hope you feel better and I love you!
On Tuesday, we went to a slum in Kampala and fixed up a well. I used a hoe to shovel out large piles of dirt,grass and trash. It was so refreshing to do hard physical labor with a tangible result for the people in the slum. That afternoon, we walked around the slum and talked to the residents about their needs and spiritual life and prayed with them. Spending time at the slum was incredibly eye opening. Many of the mothers there not only care for their own children, but also raise their nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors children as their own. The selflessness and cooperation is amazing.
Wednesday we started off the day at my favorite project, Katalemwa and I really enjoyed it again. I wish I could describe the joy and smiles on the faces of the children there when we walk into the room, but it is completely indescribable. Later that day we went to a Secondary School and before we started our program, I spent some time mingling with the students. They were all between ages 14 and 20 and were so ambitious and driven. The classroom was crowded and the supplies were ratty, but every student there really valued their education and learning. American students could take a page out of their book.
Thursday we started off at the Babies Home and then Remand Home in the afternoon. At the Babies Home I helped with laundry and the way of hand washing here left my hands bloody and blistered. Yet at the same time, it was refreshing to really put work into something and see the results. The love of the children at the Babies Home and the excitement and hope in Jesus at the Remand Home again left me in awe.
Friday we went to the village and cleared land for the future Training Center. I think I worked the harder that morning than I have worked in a long long time. Everything here just takes so much effort,that you have to really put your heart into everything. Then we walked the perimeter of the land and prayed over the people and land. It was a great day, and we all slept wonderfully that night.
Saturday was a free day so we went into the Market and I bought a bunch of souverneirs!!! Everything was very cheap (which I love) and beautiful! Also, we took public transportation (vans) there, and it was only 1000 shilllings each way (about 50 cents). It was a lot of fun. Then that night, we sat around a laptop and watched the Blind Side and for awhile, it felt like we were all back at home.
Sunday we went to church and I LOVED the praise and worship. Everyone here sings with so much passion and dances around and the focus is really on God, not on how well you sing. Then in the afternoon we all split the price of gas to drive to Lake Victoria and spent the day on the beach. We swam and laid out in the sun and walked the beach and just had a great time relaxing.
Overall, it has been a week full of hard physical labor and lots of relaxation. I am learning so much about the culture and myself. I miss everyone at home, but I'm not homesick. A group of four left today and I realized how grateful I am to be here for two months, I would not have been ready to leave today.
Sorry this is choppy, six people are sitting in the room talking to me and they are lovely.
Love all of you!
Also, special shoutout to my grandma, hope you feel better and I love you!
Monday, May 24, 2010
The First Week
Oltya! (pronounced oh-lee-oh-te-ah) or for my English speaking friends, How are you?
Sorry it has been awhile since I've updated, I have been incredibly busy, but I'll try and update once a week. For those of you who have been emailing me encouraging words and updates on your life, please continue, I love to read it. Even if I am not replying, I promise I read it.
So where to begin. Most days start out with breakfast and devotion, then we go to a project, then come back for lunch, go to another project and end the day with dinner, devotion and free time. The projects have been incredible. We go to the different projects and typically lead the kids in games, worship songs (I know now many worship songs in Luganda) and a small sermon. While the different organizations we work with are amazing and so essential, unfortunately they are understaffed, so the children are starving for love and attention. The first "real" project I went to was called Kids In Need. It is a rehab center for kids who were living on the street. The children's eyes light up when they see a "mzungu aka white person" even though we by no means deserve the star treatment we get from the kids here. Regardless, because of how highly they see us, we have a huge responsibility to be a good example and a loving heart towards these kids.
Another project I went to this week was Katelemwa, a home for disabled children. This was the most impactful experience I have had here by far. There was a little boy who suffered from some sort of mental and physical disability who was purposely banging his body against his wheelchair over and over making lots of noise. At first I had no idea how to quiet him and thought he was upset. But then I realized while I was holding his chair steady and making funny faces at him to distract him that it was his way of playing. The grin on his face and the smile in his eyes cannot be described, but once you got past his rough exterior,it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen on a child.
Two other projects I went to this week were Sanyu Babies Home and Remand Home. Sanyu is for orphans under age five, and here we helped with laundry, feeding and clothing babies, along with playing with the kids. This site was very sad because when playing with the children, we were not allowed to hold them. The workers were not being cruel by forbidding us to hold the kids, they just knew that if you held one, they would all want to be held and there were just not enough people to meet the kids needs. It was hard to pull the kids off your lap when they snuck on, but it was harder to listen to them cry because they wanted more time with you. Remand Home is a home for juvenile delinquents, most of whom are there for crimes they did not commit. I felt more impacted here than the impact I left behind. To hear 14 year old boys talk about how God changed there lives and thanking God for the blessings they have when they are living in a correctional facility is the biggest testimony to faith I may have ever seen.
We also went into the village one day which was completely different than the city. People smile in the city, people are out and about in the city, and while people are very poor, it does not compare to the poverty of the village. We went around in small groups and asked individual families what supplies they needed (mosquito nets, mattresses, jerry cans, etc) and we plan to bring them those supplies soon. Also we saw the site where EAC is building a training center for the village. While the despair in the village was rampant, when talking to the residents, a gleam of hope could be heard in their voices. I cannot wait to go back to the village for future projects and really lend a hand.
Lastly, from Saturday morning until Monday afternoon I left with a small group on Safari!! It was a five hour drive to the National Park, but we hiked down to the waterfall (which was an amazingly strenuous, but rewarding experience), drove around the park and took a boat ride in the Nile. We saw hippos, giraffes, lions (we got within 20 feet of them!), crocodiles, warthogs, elephants, antelopes, monkeys and water buffalo. The land was absolutely breathtaking and seeing God's creation at its purest was unforgettable, but I am excited to be back here as a volunteer, instead of at the park as a tourist.
I love each of you and miss you, and I'll leave you with this scripture I've been reflecting on.
"And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit"-2 Corinthians 3:18
Sorry it has been awhile since I've updated, I have been incredibly busy, but I'll try and update once a week. For those of you who have been emailing me encouraging words and updates on your life, please continue, I love to read it. Even if I am not replying, I promise I read it.
So where to begin. Most days start out with breakfast and devotion, then we go to a project, then come back for lunch, go to another project and end the day with dinner, devotion and free time. The projects have been incredible. We go to the different projects and typically lead the kids in games, worship songs (I know now many worship songs in Luganda) and a small sermon. While the different organizations we work with are amazing and so essential, unfortunately they are understaffed, so the children are starving for love and attention. The first "real" project I went to was called Kids In Need. It is a rehab center for kids who were living on the street. The children's eyes light up when they see a "mzungu aka white person" even though we by no means deserve the star treatment we get from the kids here. Regardless, because of how highly they see us, we have a huge responsibility to be a good example and a loving heart towards these kids.
Another project I went to this week was Katelemwa, a home for disabled children. This was the most impactful experience I have had here by far. There was a little boy who suffered from some sort of mental and physical disability who was purposely banging his body against his wheelchair over and over making lots of noise. At first I had no idea how to quiet him and thought he was upset. But then I realized while I was holding his chair steady and making funny faces at him to distract him that it was his way of playing. The grin on his face and the smile in his eyes cannot be described, but once you got past his rough exterior,it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen on a child.
Two other projects I went to this week were Sanyu Babies Home and Remand Home. Sanyu is for orphans under age five, and here we helped with laundry, feeding and clothing babies, along with playing with the kids. This site was very sad because when playing with the children, we were not allowed to hold them. The workers were not being cruel by forbidding us to hold the kids, they just knew that if you held one, they would all want to be held and there were just not enough people to meet the kids needs. It was hard to pull the kids off your lap when they snuck on, but it was harder to listen to them cry because they wanted more time with you. Remand Home is a home for juvenile delinquents, most of whom are there for crimes they did not commit. I felt more impacted here than the impact I left behind. To hear 14 year old boys talk about how God changed there lives and thanking God for the blessings they have when they are living in a correctional facility is the biggest testimony to faith I may have ever seen.
We also went into the village one day which was completely different than the city. People smile in the city, people are out and about in the city, and while people are very poor, it does not compare to the poverty of the village. We went around in small groups and asked individual families what supplies they needed (mosquito nets, mattresses, jerry cans, etc) and we plan to bring them those supplies soon. Also we saw the site where EAC is building a training center for the village. While the despair in the village was rampant, when talking to the residents, a gleam of hope could be heard in their voices. I cannot wait to go back to the village for future projects and really lend a hand.
Lastly, from Saturday morning until Monday afternoon I left with a small group on Safari!! It was a five hour drive to the National Park, but we hiked down to the waterfall (which was an amazingly strenuous, but rewarding experience), drove around the park and took a boat ride in the Nile. We saw hippos, giraffes, lions (we got within 20 feet of them!), crocodiles, warthogs, elephants, antelopes, monkeys and water buffalo. The land was absolutely breathtaking and seeing God's creation at its purest was unforgettable, but I am excited to be back here as a volunteer, instead of at the park as a tourist.
I love each of you and miss you, and I'll leave you with this scripture I've been reflecting on.
"And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit"-2 Corinthians 3:18
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The First Days
Well I'm here!!!
The flights were long (an 8 hour flight to London and another 8 hour flight to Entebbe, then a hour drive into Kampala). I had a long layover in London, so I wandered the city aimlessly and took pictures of what everyone else took pictures of around me and had a great time. It was an adventure to say the least.
When I arrived, I was so incredibly jetlagged and had had about 2 hours of airplane sleep over two days, but it was morning and our schedule was full. It was a long day because of that, but I fell in love with this place instantly. The children are absolutely the best part, they are so loving and beautiful and fun. The culture is so pure and honest, it is a refreshing change. I feel at home here already.
I live in a very westernized, nice house, so that is good. The running water is currently out of order though, so I have officially "done my business" in a squatty potty (aka a hole in the ground) and I've showered in a bucket (which was suprisingly refreshing). There is no air conditioning, but the building stays pretty cool. The food is very bland and starchy,which is actually really good. The other volunteers are incredible and a lot of fun to be with. About half are from "Western countries" such as America, Canada and England and the other half are Ugandan. It feels like a family.
Overall, while I miss all of you so much, I could not be happier to be here. God is already changing and reforming my heart so much, and I can already see the impact God is having on the people here through me and the EAC team. Please keep me in your prayers. Oh and email me, I love hearing from you, even if I don't reply!
God bless,
Hannah
The flights were long (an 8 hour flight to London and another 8 hour flight to Entebbe, then a hour drive into Kampala). I had a long layover in London, so I wandered the city aimlessly and took pictures of what everyone else took pictures of around me and had a great time. It was an adventure to say the least.
When I arrived, I was so incredibly jetlagged and had had about 2 hours of airplane sleep over two days, but it was morning and our schedule was full. It was a long day because of that, but I fell in love with this place instantly. The children are absolutely the best part, they are so loving and beautiful and fun. The culture is so pure and honest, it is a refreshing change. I feel at home here already.
I live in a very westernized, nice house, so that is good. The running water is currently out of order though, so I have officially "done my business" in a squatty potty (aka a hole in the ground) and I've showered in a bucket (which was suprisingly refreshing). There is no air conditioning, but the building stays pretty cool. The food is very bland and starchy,which is actually really good. The other volunteers are incredible and a lot of fun to be with. About half are from "Western countries" such as America, Canada and England and the other half are Ugandan. It feels like a family.
Overall, while I miss all of you so much, I could not be happier to be here. God is already changing and reforming my heart so much, and I can already see the impact God is having on the people here through me and the EAC team. Please keep me in your prayers. Oh and email me, I love hearing from you, even if I don't reply!
God bless,
Hannah
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Preparation
Hello friends and family,
Well I have five days left until I head out to Uganda for two months. I am in the process of packing, shopping for essentials and saying goodbye to friends and family (which is the hardest part!). Obviously, I could not be more excited to see what God is going to do to me and through me while I am serving abroad, but I cannot deny the nervousness I am also experiencing right now. I have no idea what to expect and I do not think I could ever be one hundred percent spiritually ready for this, but at the same time, I think this is the best condition to be in because it gives God the most room to work. I know I am safe in God's hands, which comforts me, yet at the same time, I cannot help but stress out over the small things, such as the mechanics of layovers and wondering how often I will shower. However, some verses I have been reflecting on the last couple weeks have been keeping me grounded and focused.
"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."
-Psalm 131: 1-3
Thank you for your support and continue to keep my in your prayers.
I love each of you,
Hannah
Well I have five days left until I head out to Uganda for two months. I am in the process of packing, shopping for essentials and saying goodbye to friends and family (which is the hardest part!). Obviously, I could not be more excited to see what God is going to do to me and through me while I am serving abroad, but I cannot deny the nervousness I am also experiencing right now. I have no idea what to expect and I do not think I could ever be one hundred percent spiritually ready for this, but at the same time, I think this is the best condition to be in because it gives God the most room to work. I know I am safe in God's hands, which comforts me, yet at the same time, I cannot help but stress out over the small things, such as the mechanics of layovers and wondering how often I will shower. However, some verses I have been reflecting on the last couple weeks have been keeping me grounded and focused.
"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."
-Psalm 131: 1-3
Thank you for your support and continue to keep my in your prayers.
I love each of you,
Hannah
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