Life comes at you fast...

I apologize for not writing in so long...life has been crazy! We're finally wrapping up the semester and saying goodbye to our families this week Friday. I'm hoping it won't be so hard since Caroline and I are both staying in Uganda for an extra month and will be back to visit our family a few more times in May.

Many interesting things have happened just in the last two weeks. The first weekend in April, our IMME group travelled for 12 hours in a small van over treacherous dirt roads to experience Bwindi, home to one of the largest national parks in Africa. Bwindi impenetrable forest is absolutely gorgeous and famous for being the home of over half of the gorillas left in the world. Though we were lodged at the edge of the forest, we didn't see any gorillas because we you have to pay about $500-$800 to do that and we were just in Bwindi for ministry purposes.

We met some pretty amazing people that weekend, like Dr. Scott, who came to Bwindi about 4 years ago and basically developed a whole health clinic compound out of nothing. His ministry has come so far so quickly and has really been meeting the needs of the people in great ways. We also got to meet and work with Pygmies, helping them build mud houses. It was a little shocking to see the "house" the family lived in before that we were replacing with a new mud house. The old house was basically an "A" shaped roof on the ground, made of sticks and banana leaves with an unattached wood plank as a door. I had to duck to walk in and the amount of floor space was about equal to that of a 3 or 4 person tent. I couldn't believe that it was home to a family of 7.

Church that Sunday was incredible because we just went to a local village church where the service lasted about 5 or 6 hours! Bwindi is home to the Bukiga people who have a distinct drum beat and dance which involves a lot of jumping and stomping, and it made for an unforgettable praise and worship experience. After having lunch we all went and danced with some of the village kids as they sang - so much fun!

Bwindi was great, minus the drive and the salmonella that came along with it. When we went back to school after that weekend 9 out of the 12 of us were sick with diahrea and vomiting - we endearingly called it the IMME epidemic. It was pretty awful...I had gone this whole semester here without really getting sick and here at the end it finally came. A few of us went to Kampala to see a doctor at a place called "The Surgery". It was a crazy experience as we all felt awful and had to wait for several hours. We were actually seen and treated by Dr. Dick Stockley, who plays the part of the journalist in "The Last King of Scotland". He was hilarious and made the whole experience that much better. I developed a high fever that night too, but thankfully the medicine worked for everything and we were all feeling a lot better over the next few days.

So after a crazy week I was thankfully able to travel back to Sipi to visit friends for a much needed weekend of relaxation. It was great to Michael and Reverend Diana again - she was so surprised! She thought for sure I wouldn't make it all the back to Sipi since this program is ending soon, but she was pleasantly surprised to find I had come "home" to Kapchorwa like I promised I would. Some, though not all of you have heard by now that Michael and I have actually decided to pursue a relationship with each other...you know part of the story already, but if you want to hear the whole thing just ask me sometime when I'm back home and I would love to tell you.

I realize not everyone will understand, especially at first, but just know that this is not a shallow fling. It may seem out of the blue to some, but keep in mind, there is a lot more to the story that you don't know. It has been well thought out, talked out, and prayed about.

I actually met a lot of his family this past Sunday as we went to his Mom's house for lunch. I will be staying with her at her house in Iganga district (about halfway between Mukono and Sipi) for most of May, just living there, helping around the house, and also volunteering locally in their community. When we arrived we received an incredible welcome at the local church...I've never experienced anything like it really. As we walked in the doors of the church we found about 30 people from the village clapping and shouting with joy to welcome us. They were just so excited and grateful to have me as a guest in their village, knowing that I would be staying with them for about 3 weeks in May. Michael and his stepdad made a few speeches and also asked me to say a few words as is custom in this culture. Then they all sang and danced in celebration of my coming, and I was just beside myself. The whole thing was totally unexpected and I just kept thinking that nothing like this would never happen in America...Ugandan hospitality continues to floor me.

When we had lunch back at the house, I actually became so grateful for all the intercultural classes I had taken back home in which I learned the importance of food in culture. I was already pretty full from having tea before lunch, but the time came I knew I had to eat and eat well to make a good impression! I don't think everyone there realized that I had already been living with a Ugandan family for the past 3 months and was used to local food like matoke & rice and some kind of unidentifiable meat, so they were worried that I wouldn't like the food. It was so funny because I could feel the stares of everyone the whole time I was shoveling food into my face, conquering the African sized portion Michael had served me. He told me later that the way I ate all of the food really made a great impression on his parents and other relatives and that the conversation they were all having in Lusoga (the local dialect of Iganga) during lunch was all about how well I was eating! Who knew that food could be the major deciding factor of my acceptance into the family!

After a long trip home to Mukono, I was pleasantly surprised to find my family very excited for Michael and me. I was so nervous when I was showing Caroline pictures from the weekend and Musumba walked into the room. Caroline showed him the pictures and said "...Sharon's new boyfriend" to which Musumba responded "Boyfriend? Hallelujah!" I responded gratefully with the usual "amen" plus an extra sigh of relief!

This may be the last post I write for a while as we are leaving for a 10 day trip to Rwanda this weekend. When we return we will basically just be debriefing that trip and the whole rest of the semester, then I'll see my fellow students off at the airport and proceed to Iganga for the month. Thank you all for your continued prayers, I really am missing you all so much.

Prayer Requests:
-For Michael and I of course
-Pray that the details of May would work out smoothly
-Enock is very sick with flu
-Safe travel to Rwanda - its a 14 hour drive across the roads of Uganda

I just can't leave yet

Another good week has gone by...so little time left. It's crunch time now just like any other semester and I am trying desperately not to get too stressed with school while trying to cherish the last few weeks I have with my family. On saturday I spent the day in Kampala with Danielle, Caroline, and Danielle's sister Rebecca. We sort of killed two birds with one stone by spending time with family and studying because we went to this great cafe and had the best time sharing stories, drinking coffee (a mocha frappe!) and even getting some homework done.

Last Sunday we were talking Godfrey about how little time we have left here in Uganda, so he decided he wanted to show us some of the ministries he's involved in. We went first to Besaniya - a children's rehab center. We didn't stay long though because he really wanted to take us out to the school for the blind about half an hour away. We picked up our friend Reverend Esmond and the four of us drove out on one of the worst roads I've ever travelled on...ever. Soon after arriving I realized it was well worth the effort. When you meet these kids and the workers who manage the place you immediately feel so much love from them.

It was one of the most incredible experiences I've had at any ministry in Uganda thus far. These kids are so loving and accepting and really just full of joy. As soon as we met them they started feeling our arms, our hair - anything to get a first impression. It's funny because they are the only ones who can't tell you are a mzungu until you open your mouth and speak! The first few kids we met just held onto our hands the whole time that Godfrey was giving us a tour of the compound, and it made us all want to stay forever. We did getto stay at least for about an hour and join them for an evening fellowship service. Wow, those kids can sing, and once again I was so impressed with the sincerity and passion of their worship. Salama school for the blind is one special place that I think I will never forget.

That was really the highlight of my week. There were some minor excitements amidst the normalcy - Musumba actually sent Caroline and I to the suprmarket after dark for a loaf of bread...we felt so independent, haha! We watched 2 episodes of Andy Griffith last week and it was so funny to hear the heavy southern accents after being here for 2 1/2 months! Mama doesn't like us to whistle after dark because it will "call the snakes," so when she heard the Andy Griffith theme song from another room she was concerned and demanded to know who was whistling!

Enock continues to keep us entertained as he is getting closer and closer to speaking real words. Poor kid - he's probably so confused hearing English and Luganda all the time. He's gettign the tones down quite well and cxan copy almost any sound, but he still doesn't quite form the words. When Mama tells Enock to call for Elisha he copies the exact tone she uses, but al lthat comes out is "aaaya". So for now his vocabulary consists only of 3 words: Amen, Dada, and the Luganda word for hot, it sounds like "jya" or something. He loves to point at my cup of tea and say "Jya!" to make sure I know that it's hot. That kid makes me so happy...I don't know how I will live without him.

It's rainy season now which is good and bad. It's good because we have plenty of water (the tank is overflowing!) but bad because everything gets so muddy. Yet Ugandans work so hard to stay clean and I don't know how they do it! We walk the same roads yet my shoes are covered in mud while theirs stay clean. To me, this ability ranks right up there with their ability to see in hte dark and hear a whisper two rooms awya. Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous.

Anyways, because it's always so muddy when it pours for hours on end, everything sort of stops and events get cancelled. On thursday we even cancelled our missions class, but since the rain stopped in the afternoon we were still able to have a dessert "BBQ" in the evening as planned. Professor Button and his wife invited our class over totheir house for smores and roasted chocolate bananas! It was incredible, and quite a refreshing taste of America - roasting marshmallows over hot coals while listening to Jack Johnson...praise God for expatriot professors!

As much as I miss home (and I do miss all of you more than you know) I have actually just changed my plane ticket...I love these people and have nothing to do for the next month so I've decided to extend my stay through May 24th instead of May 2nd! I know it won't excite some of you as much as it excites me but I just can't leave these people in a few weeks. I know staying longer wont' make the leaving any easier but I have to take advantage of every opportunity to stay while I can. I don't know the details of what I'll be doing or where I'll be staying for the month of May, but I have a few options and its just a matter of working out the details now. I'll be spending some time in Sipi, some time in Iganga, and some time in Mukono. Besides visiting friends and family in these places I'll be volunteering at some local ministries.

Ugandans are the most hospitable people in the world and a visitor is always welcome, even without an appointment, so don't worry too much about me! Everyone I've talked to so far about staying with them for a few days or weeks was very excited for opportunity to host me and they said they would even be willing to host me for the whole month. So while this will be a challenging experience to be here basically alone, without the school related program, I will still be surrounded by friends and family who love me and know how to take care of people.

Prayer Requests:
-Time management - balancing finals and papers with spending time with my family.
-Getting the details worked out for staying here in May
-Guidance from God about the near and distant future

Happy Easter!

This weekend we went to the Luwero district of Uganda to meet with some ministers and learn about their ministries. We arrived thursday evening after a 4 hour drive that was only supposed to take 2, but Danielle and Erin kept us entertained with ridiculous singing and joking so it wasn't so bad. At one point our van was turning around near a boda-boda park...perfect opportunity to be harrassed. One driver was saying something to us in Luganda about love (kwagala) to which Danielle responded out the window "banange," (my friends) - an expression used sort of like "my goodness". The driver continued harrassing so Danielle said, "tu swala" (you're shaming us) and closed the van window. At this the entire line of boda drivers busted up laughing and clapping for us - it was quite a showdown!

For Good Friday we got to be a part of an incredible program hosted by some of the churches in Luwero. It is an event in which Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Lutherans, and the Church of Uganda all come together for the way of the cross. I've heard of churches in America doing the "stations of the cross" before, but never quite like this. In Luwero, they do a dramatic presentation and actually act out the stations of the cross. The first two were held in the catholic church, and then we all proceeded out into the streets following the actors as they continued to reenact the events. There were about 1000 of us walking as one large mob around the actors, led by a pick-up truck with massive speakers. Some of the bishops rode in the truck and through the speakers, read the scriptures that corresponded with the acting. They also preached a little as we went and we definitely drew crowds around town. It was really an amazing way to take the Gospel out into the community. It was also an unforgettable experiencing that really made the story of Christ's suffering come alive in a new way. Walking for 2 hours in the hot sun in a crowded mass of hundreds of people, following a man carrying a cross and being "beaten" almost the entire way...I felt like I was really part of the crowd walking with Jesus 2000 years ago. A lot of people in the community joined us along the way simply out of curiosity about what was going on, and it made me realize that when this actually happened to Jesus, most of the crowds probably had no idea what was going on. I had thought about this before but it sort of hit me in a new way, being a part of it. We ended the walk at the Anglican church and they "crucified Jesus" to the cross and ended with a closing service.

After the most incredible Good Friday of my life, the day got even better as we met with Father Jerry, a local Catholic priest for tea. This guy has such a heart for ministry and just seemed like one of the most sincere people I've ever met. After meeting with him, we were invited Bishop Kisseka's house for more tea! He is an Anglican bishop and has the nicest house I've seen in Uganda thus far...Bishops are pretty highly regarded here. He has actually ministered in America for some time, so it was interesting to hear about the differences between ministering here in Uganda and ministering back home.

I just can't believe what amazing people I'm meeting here in addition to the families I've stayed with. I am loving my Mukono family more and more all the time. Yesterday we had a huge lunch for Easter...Chicken, beef, pork, irish potatoes, pasta, cabbage, greens, 3 kinds of sauce for each of the meats, rice, matoke (of course), pineapple, and soda. We all ate so much! 3 plates each at least! Even after my 3rd full bowl of food, our friend Godfrey who was over for lunch said once again, "Sharon, you have eaten like a mosquito!" And after telling him I couldn't possibly eat anymore, he said we needed to get up and dance and jump around to make more room for the food! After we had all eaten way too much we all just relaxed and talked for the rest of the afternoon. After all that talking we decided it was time to do something so the rest of our evening was filled with dancing! I know I'm a Wesleyan, but I figure maybe social dancing is okay when its with your family!

The Sunday morning service really wasn't all that different from a normal service except the cathedral was completely packed, we took communion, the liturgy was a little different, and the focus of the whole service was on Jesus' resurrection of course. So even though Easter Sunday wasn't vastly different from how I've experienced it in America, it was definitely not a disappointment. It rained all day but here that is a blessing...you start realize this when your family's water tank is overflowing for several hours! Mukama yeba zibwe! Praise the Lord!

Good Morning, Pumba

Though I haven't written for a while, not much has happened besides our weekend safari. Things are so normal and routine now - I love it! Ever since I returned from Kapchorwa I have felt so at home in Mukono. Everyday I feel like I reach a new level of comfort and openness with my host family. They are continually opening up more and more, so it makes it easy to do the same. I'm really finding myself here finally, feeling like I can be myself in a way that works in this culture. I've even picked up on so many of the phrases and the "Ugandan English" here...I wouldn't be surprised if I talk a lot different when I return to America, and I hope it doesn't get too confusing! There are so many things they say here that confused me at first - some examples:

-Words like "moving", "slopeing", "passing" are all terms for walking. It sort of throws you off when before you leave for a party your mom asks you, "Do you move with toilet paper?" meaning "are you bringing toilet paper with you as we go?"
-"...give us a push" means "can you give us a ride?"
-"it has refused" is said when something doesn't work.
-"Surely?" or "Sure?" means "really?" or "are you serious?
-My all-time favorite is when they stop in the middle of their sentence and say "what?" For example, "Me, I have eaten so much, but you, you have eaten like a what? Like a mosquito."

Anyways, we finally went on safari this weekend to Queen Elisabeth National Park in the Rift Valley - such a beautiful place. You know its gonna be good when you can't reach the main gate of the park because a family of elephants is blocking the road. We took into consideration the fact that there were baby elephants and a massive daddy elephant who was flapping his ears as a warning sign, and we decided to turn back and seek an alternate route. I can just remember the excitement in our bus at seeing elephants, followed by our driver's voice of reason, "Are we safe?" After turning back we found a guard and explained our situation. He laughed a lot but then said it was good of us to turn back because if we had gone forward, "they would have charged and killed all of you."

So we found a different gate to get into the park and thankfully there was someone to open it for us (a.k.a a man in the bushes with a gun). Once we were in we drove around for awhile looking for a campsite and stumbled across a group of Indians from the UN. Feeling intimidated by large group and tent mansions, we moved on to an open area to pitch our tents. My friend Holly did a great job directing our driver to the right area saying, "You see those people who look confused, the ones with the little flashlights? Those are our kind of people." It was actually my very first camping experience ever - quite exciting! I didn't sleep well however because of all the noise, you know, the hippos munching, the warthogs grunting and pushing on our tent. Yes, I've officially met Pumba now.

Saturday we set out for our game drive safari a little late. We didn't see as many animals as we would have if we would have gone early in the morning, but we still saw quite a few...more elephants, waterbucks, Kobs (my clan!), buffalo, warthogs, some crazy birds, mongooses (mongeese?). In the afternoon we went on a boat safari since the animals go for water during the day. This was pretty incredible...I can't really describe the experience of seeing animals like hippos and elephants in their natural habitat, no fences separating you, the Rwenzori mountains as a backdrop...it was awesome. Sunday morning we went out a little earlier and saw a lot of the same but also monkeys and finally, the lion! Sightings are rare in this park, and it was a female so it didn't have the exciting mane, but there's something exciting about sharing common territory with a lion.

Though we had opted to camp, this park had a beautiful high class lodge hotel that we spent some time at during the day just relaxing. I think we all experienced a little culture shock just being in the hotel lobby and other common areas...it was really like stepping back into America for a few hours. It made me realize this is going to be harder than I thought - coming back to America that is. March is flying by and all my weekends are booked from now on with trips and events. I honestly don't think I will be ready to leave my Mukono family in a month...part of me wishes I could change my ticket home to the end of July, but that's not really practical. I miss you all so much anyway.

So other than safari, the only mildly exciting things that happened were preaching at a secondary school last sunday, Enock dropping my phone in the basin of water as I was washing laundry, and getting all the clothes I had washed that afternoon stolen. A humbling experience for sure - having my already limited wardrobe diminished by half. I now have about the same amount of clothing that each of my family members have, and they survive just fine! I think when I go home to all the other clothes I left behind, I will be more than content with them for a long time.

Prayer Requests:
-School as usual (overwhelming)
-Rittah may have malaria
-Trying to make sense of my time here in Uganda - how best to use it since its going so fast

It's only the beginning

Do you know what it is to meet people and feel as though you've known them and have been friends with them all your life? To feel totally content and happy to be with them for hours just because they are such great people? I met such people about 10 days ago in Kapchorwa, and we all agreed as we said goodbye that this was not the end but the beginning of long, maybe even lifelong friendships.

I really wasn't excited at all about my rural homestay, (it's never good when you're the only one out of 12 that they specifically tell to bring a sleeping bag and pillow!) but as soon as they dropped me off at the house, I felt completely at peace about everything. I stayed with Reverend Diana (in her mid thirties) and her cousin-sister Victoria (13). I couldn't believe it but that was the extent of the family living in the home - just 2! Rev. Diana has 2 biological sons Stephen (10) and Asa (8) but they are staying with their Grandparents now during the school year. They come to visit on weekends and they are so great...they absolutely loved my camera, and actually mastered it quite well!

Our house was actually surrounded by tourist resorts/camps because Sipi Falls was right next door! It's dry season up there in the mountains so they are closed for a few months, but usually there are tons of tourists around that area. Since it's their off-season, the people who manage the resorts were not very busy and I became such good friends with two in particular - Whinnie (21) and Michael (26). Since they deal with tourists all the time, I found it very easy to talk with them, and we had a lot of time throughout the week for good conversation.

For example, last monday Michael took me on a hike through the mountains to the first and second of the three waterfalls in Kapchorwa. I've never seen such natural beauty in my life...I felt so spoiled to be living in the midst of it for 10 days. After a day of hiking we came back to Whinnie's camp for lunch, and I had to wait over there all afternoon and evening until Rev. Diana returned from work. I had the best time talking with Whinnie for hours about all the differences between life in rural Uganda and America.

Rev. Diana is one of my new favorite people in the whole world - I loved having her as a mom! We just hit it off right away, and all our conversation just came so naturally. This lady works so hard - she already has her MDiv. and wants to go back for a PhD soon. She teaches 7, yes 7 classes at a secondary school in the village which is actually about a 20 minute hike from the house. Then, she has to come home and cook dinner and keep up the house...cooking dinner here is no easy task. We're talking several hours of preparation and cooking over a fire. I admire Rev. Diana so much!

Working out in the village is hard and never ending. I helped sweep the yard, do the dishes, walk the goats to some grassy areas, cook, fetch water, and even carried some matoke on my head from our plantation 20 minutes from our house! I carried one small bundle and thought I was going to die, while Rev. Diana was of course carrying two bundles stacked on top of each other on her head! One bundle weighs about 15 pounds - no easy task on rough terrain! What I can't understand is how the women carry these kinds of loads on their heads, with things in their hands, through the mountains that I could barely walk through without falling over!

Though I was in the home of a Reverend, I did not have to preach thankfully! I just introduced myself and gave a short testimony and they all loved it. The most interesting part of the service was actually the time at the end for tithes and offerings. Not only did people give money, some also gave eggs and there was even a live hen brought forward! At the end they sort of auction off these items to the congregation...so interesting.

I felt like I really got a sense of the friendliness of Uganda that I always hear about but never quite experience in Mukono. About 80% of Uganda is rural like Kapchorwa so Mukono is not really the norm. In Kapchorwa, everyone greets in the street as they pass, and really if they are not working, everyone goes around visiting each other. On Sunday afternoon we constantly had visitors in and out of our home - I really love that aspect of village life. I have never experienced such hospitality in my life. A visitor is always welcome no matter what and a visitor like me is always greatly anticipated. I wasn't Rev. Diana's visitor, I was the village's visitor. I really experienced this as our whole USP group came together for hiking at Sipi, and we passed some of the villagers working in the valley. Everyone was greeting one lady carrying something on her head saying, "hello" and as I passed I said "Takwenyo" (the local greeting) and the lady said, "Is it Sharon?" I didn't recognize her but there's a good chance she may have been in church on Sunday, and so I just asked her how she was doing, etc. So funny...it really caught me off guard!

Our homestays actually ended on Wednesday and then we met the other USP students in Soroti for a few days, about 3 hours away. Then we all returned to a camp right up the hill from Rev. Diana's house for camping and hiking and more debriefing, so I actually got to hike twice - once with Michael, and then with some of my USP friends. We had an amazing time just relaxing, star gazing, dancing when no one could see us (I think!), praising God under a waterfall, and having a worship service Sunday morning on the top of the mountain.

So when we returned to Kapchorwa from Soroti, I was able to visit my family for a few hours and it was wonderful. I arrived with Danielle and everyone was there wrapping presents for me and my Mukono family! I didn't realize what was going on, but thought it was strange that they had us sit outside for awhile. I thought they were having a party for someone because there were visitors there that I didn't recognize. So after Danielle and I had tea and shared more stories with Rev. Diana, Michael, and Whinnie, they started thanking me for being willing to stay with them and for coming to Sipi and gave me tons of gifts! I felt so honored but also like I should have been thanking all of them for their hospitality.

With less than two months left here in Uganda, I will definitely be making plans to go back and visit these friends in Kapchorwa, or maybe meet somewhere in Kampala or Jinja. This is truly just the beginning, not the end.

Prayer requests:
-Praise God, Rittah is back in school! I don't know the details of how the money came through but God provided.
-We can't seem to keep our house help for Enock...we've already been through 3 in the last few weeks and the one we have now is only temporary till we can find another one. He's just a really active kid and I guess people don't have the energy to keep up with him, but we are in serious need!

School Fees, Sorcery, and Bungee Jumping

So this past weekend went a little differently than planned...but it was still very good. While traveling 7 hours away to see a traditional circumcision ceremony did sound like a good experience, I wasn't too disappointed to find out that the trip was cancelled. We have so many trips coming up and the semester is already about half way over – I feel like I’m never going to see my family! With an unexpected free weekend, many of the other USP students went white water rafting and bungee jumping at the Nile, but I didn’t want to rush into a decision like that (it was a lot of money too) so I just didn’t make plans. I originally thought I wanted to go rafting but many of the rapids were class 5 and I’ve never been rafting before...it sounded like something you would want to be experienced in before going. Hearing the stories of those who went was a lot of fun (you should read their blog entries about it!), but most said it was absolutely terrifying...a great and incredible experience but completely terrifying. After hearing about the bungee jumping and seeing video however, Danielle and I have decided we want to do that in about a month! We jumped out of a plane together last semester...I think we can jump off a bridge, right?

There was a singles retreat Saturday that I attended with our church – a nice surprise since I thought I would be doing housework all day! About 20 of us met at the church around 8:30 in the morning (since everyone was told to be there at 6:30 haha), and we drove to a resort in Jinja to spend the day worshipping and talking together. It was wonderful to make some more Ugandan friends who are about my age. For the first few hours we listened to some very good preaching by Rev. Titus...he had a lot of good things to say not only about being single, but being spiritually disciplined in various aspects of life. After lunch we moved outside for a time of questions and open discussion. We sat on a cliff overlooking the Nile, and I was thankful for the incredible view because about 90% of the next 2 hours of discussion was in Luganda! Every once in awhile the girls sitting next to me would explain what in the world they were talking about, and asked me a few questions as the rest of the group continued their discussion. One of the conversations I had with Rachel (the one sitting next to me) was so meaningful...it was one of those “aha” moments, and it made the whole trip worth it.

For the past week or so our family had hired someone to watch Enoch during the day and also help with the cooking/housework. Her name was Justine and she only spoke Luganda so I didn’t really have a chance to get to know her. Last night when I got home from school we had a different Justine...the other had gone home for personal reasons.

It turns out she was involved in practicing sorcery, which we had no clue about when we hired her. The other night when I was going to sleep I heard Musumba talking and praying with one or two people in the sitting room, and then they moved outside and began singing. It was around midnight so this was all very strange, but I wasn’t too worried because I could tell it was some kind of praise song, though it was in Luganda. It was beautiful by the way...I felt like I was getting a glimpse of heaven! Anyways, since this was so out of the ordinary I asked about it at dinner last night and apparently they had led Justine to Christ and had also exercised some things from her. Unfortunately, the next day she decided she wasn’t happy with the decision she made to follow Christ, and returned back home to continue practicing sorcery.

Hearing about all of this made so many things make sense. For these past few days, every time I would be at home things just felt wrong...I thought that our family was just having personal issues and it was causing me to feel like something wasn’t right. I really think that I was experiencing a presence of evil all those days when the first Justine was here. There was such a marked difference between yesterday evening and the last week that she was here. Last night everyone was just in brighter spirits and there was more laughter than we’ve had at dinner in a long time! Please continue to pray for our family and for Justine.

Rittah is having a really hard time dealing with not being able to go to school because of school fees. Her dad stopped by on Monday and she thought he would have the money, but he didn’t. They have 6 kids in their family all together so it’s understandable why they are having a hard time coming up with it...it’s such a hard situation.

Last night after dinner she was clearly not okay, and after everyone else left the room I just asked her what was troubling her. She could barely get the words out as she began to cry...I just sat there crying with her, feeling like the biggest jerk and hypocrite, knowing that I could easily provide the money. At the same time I know that’s not necessarily the best or right solution because it could really lead to a lot of problems. Even my host parents could provide the money but they don’t.

I know in my head that handing over some money isn’t the best thing to do, but in my heart it makes no sense to sit there and pray for God to provide when he could be wanting to use me to provide for her. What kills me is that a couple weeks ago when we went to Kampala she saw me spend the same amount of money on food and transportation for a day of pleasure as she needs for some, or possibly all of her school fees. Does she think of these things when I sit and cry and pray with her? Does she wonder why I sympathize but don’t offer any real help? I haven’t felt God leading me to give in this way, but it’s hard to know what to do or even how to act around her.

Please continue to pray for this situation...I know God has a plan, and maybe for now it is his will for Rittah to struggle through this, but it’s not easy to watch a close friend go through a difficult time.

I probably won’t be writing for quite awhile because Friday we are leaving for our rural homestays. We are taking a week off school to go stay with families in the mountainous district of Kapchourwa to see what life is like in the country. I know this will be a great experience, but I’m really not excited about it right now. It seems so stressful! They speak a completely different language but some English thankfully, there will be no electricity, its very conservative, and if I end up in the home of a reverend, it’s guaranteed that I’ll be giving the sermon on Sunday...that’s not intimidating or anything!

So don’t expect to hear from me for a while, but when I get back I will have tons to tell you I’m sure! Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Ups and Downs

A lot has happened since I wrote last...where to begin?

Wednesday night of last week we had our overnight intercessory prayer service at the Cathedral, and it was quite an experience. Since we had classes the next day we only stayed from 9pm-1am and we actually would have stayed another hour or so, but we were already an hour late getting Betsy home. I don’t know why I haven’t ever written much about the other USP students yet (Betsy being one of them)...we have so many crazy experiences together and are such good friends...I can’t believe I haven’t talked about any of them as of yet! I have so much to write about from the weekend, so some other time I will share some stories of our adventures, but if you follow the links you can read some of their blogs and get to know them a little better.

Anyways, for the first 3 hours of the prayer service we actually just had a time of praise and preaching. The preaching was pretty intense, and the power went out a couple times making things even more interesting, especially since the purpose of this service was to pray against all the witchcraft practiced in and around our area. I was misinformed when I said in my last post that they would be having a similar service going on simultaneously. The reason this service was focused around this issue was because those who practice witchcraft here usually gather privately, but now they want to worship publicly and build a cathedral. We were also praying for our pastors and their families and churches because they are all under attack. Those who practice witchcraft have recently been sending some of their members out as agents of evil to attend churches in the area on Sunday mornings. They seek to bring discord and harm to our congregations, and especially our pastor’s and their families. To give you an idea of how prevalent this is in our town of Mukono, apparently last year we had the highest number of child sacrifices in Uganda – 52. As you can see, this is an ongoing thing that we could use prayer for all the time here. So we finally had the first time of prayer from about midnight to 12:45, and they continued to alternate between preaching and prayer throughout the morning hours. The presence of God was so heavy and so obviously present – it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, hearing hundreds of people praying aloud in their native languages for 45 minutes straight. It was so hard to leave – we all felt like we could have stayed all night had we not had class the next day.

The weekend was full of excitement, but Saturday morning was rough. I woke up to find that Grace would be leaving in a few minutes to go home with her brother and go back to school. It came as a shock to our whole family, as her brother just showed up that morning to take her home without warning. When I told Grace that this made me very sad she said, “Even me, I am not happy.” The whole situation was really hard on everyone, especially Grace. She is the most amazing 13 year old girl I know – what 13-year-olds do you know who would gladly clean, do dishes, look after a 2 year old, and cook for a family of 8 every day? I am going to miss her witty sense of humor and even her laugh. Our family jokes that though she is so young she already has her masters – in laughing! I am thankful to have had a month with her but we all miss her so much.

Some of us had been planning to go to Kampala for the day on Saturday and it was really good to get out of the house after such an unexpected goodbye. Becca, Betsy, Caroline, and I set out with our sister Rittah to the capital city for shopping, American food, and cello playing! We took a 45 min. ride in a Matatu (taxi van) for less than a dollar to get there. Since we had to be home before dark we were pressed for time and didn’t end up going shopping, but we did have a late lunch at the “New York Kitchen” where we got calzones, lasagna, and mac & cheese! You’d be surprised at the kind of foods you miss when you’re here! After lunch we took a taxi to the YMCA where, low and behold, they really did have a cello! I got to rent it for half an hour for about $1.25. It wasn’t the same of course, because the cello wasn’t the best quality, but it was actually in better shape than I expected. There was so much I didn’t get to play because of time, but it was well worth it – just enough to tide me over for another month or so!

The ride home was an adventure all its own as we had to take 3 different Matatus to get back! The first was just to get to a different side of Kampala where there would actually be taxis going to Mukono, and the second one got a flat tire halfway home. This happened just as it was getting dark and we had to find another taxi to get us the rest of the way home. Since it was getting dark and we weren’t back yet, Musumba was worried and prayed for us...praise God the flat didn’t cause us to get into an accident. Have I mentioned yet that Uganda’s roads are the 2nd most dangerous in the world? Feel free to add traveling safety to your list of ongoing prayer requests!

Sunday morning Betsy, Becca, and I went to a nearby high school for their Sunday morning service. We preached a very short sermon about trusting God, and just enjoyed worshiping with about 25 teens. I have never experienced such sincere worship with a group their age. Apparently something they’ve been learning lately is to really mean the words when they sing and I could tell they are really getting it. Being a part of this school ministry is something I feel I need to be involved in on a regular basis, which I never expected before I came here. I wouldn’t be preaching every week of course, but I would love to get to know these students better, counsel and mentor them, and continue to learn from them.

School work is getting tougher, and USP is keeping us all busy with trips and meetings, so unfortunately I won’t be able to post as often...this weekend we are going to see a traditional Bagesu circumcision (also something I didn’t expect before I came!), so I’ll tell you all about it next week!

Prayer requests:
-I am getting very accustomed to everything here and I don’t want to take it for granted...I want to enjoy the time I have here and not let it pass me by.
-Rittah had started school again last week but now she cannot attend because she can’t pay her school fees. Please pray that God will provide quickly...this is her last year of school before going on to University. Note: I am asking only for prayer, not money! Sending money from the U.S. would cause more problems rather than solve them, so thank you for your prayers.

Perspectives

I love my African family. I knew they were very accepting and understanding of our culture and very accommodating for Caroline and I, but I had no idea how great the really were! As a disclaimer I am going to say that I do not mean for this post to be judgmental because I have also been guilty of these things in one form or another.

Monday night, when we had the missions team from Michigan over for dinner at our house, I observed the clashing of two cultures. It was a rare opportunity to see my culture through different eyes, the eyes of my Ugandan family. I am by no means saying that I have any real grasp of this culture after being here for just 3 and a half weeks, but there was a significant difference between my understanding and the MI team's understanding of how to behave and interact in this context.

The team of 8 Americans and two Ugandans spilled out of the van and we welcomed them into our small sitting room. Our family sat in the other room, waiting for us to be done with the food while Msumba, Caroline, and I sat and ate with the missions team and their escorts. Msumba welcomed them all and announced the variety of food that we had prepared for them - Matoke, chicken, fish, Irish potatoes, various sauces, pineapple, and sloppy joes! Upon hearing the words "sloppy joes" the whole team cheered and clapped, and while I was honored, I had to suppress a cringe as they had just unknowingly communicated that they would not have survived eating just the African food. You may think I'm overreacting, but you did not see their expressions as they listened to the list of prepared dishes that were not exclusively American. As the team was getting their food, one member specifically thanked Caroline and I for the sloppy joes as she passed up the matoke, which several team members had not even tried yet. The staple food! She had not even tried it yet and would not take any, even after we assured her that it was better here than anywhere else in town.

Throughout the evening the team mostly talked amongst themselves and to Caroline and I, only engaging in conversation with our Ugandan hosts once or twice. It was strange to hear harsh sarcasm and joking, as this is just not a part of Ugandan culture. Here, people are generally very encouraging and build each other up in conversation. I realized as I observed their interactions just how much I've changed in the short time I've been here in regards to my usual sarcastic humor. Most of the conversations I had with the people sitting next to me during dinner were very negative, and I do not think they would have talked so openly without the other noisy conversations that made it impossible for our hosts to hear them. One man asked me questions about what we normally have for dinner, confident that our family was "putting out the spread" for them but normally starves throughout the week. I proudly defended my family and informed him that we always have more than enough for dinner every night - a lot more than a normal American family would eat for dinner!

He also made comments about varying exchange rates and how Ugandans will do anything to get another dollar out of us Americans. For a brief moment I felt myself wanting to agree with him, until I remembered where I was and what I've experienced here so far. Instead of affirming what he was saying I sat in silence, wondering how anyone could seriously make generalized, negative statements about Ugandans taking advantage of Americans while sitting as an honored guest in the home of an incredible Ugandan family who had spent the past 4 hours preparing the meal he was now ungratefully eating!

The one time they did make an effort to engage in conversation with our parents, they asked a very imposing question for this culture. To Mama Irene, " So, why'd you decide to marry this guy?" The team chuckled at their typical American humor as our mom just politely smiled. The tension in the room was almost visible to me, as after an awkward silence she finally said, "I saw how he served the Lord." Then, with the tone of an adult speaking to a small child, the man said, "That was important to you." There was nothing really wrong with this comment, but the manner in which he spoke to our mom, as if she was somehow intellectually inferior, was incredibly offensive. The unfortunate, but enlightening part of it all - he had no idea he was doing it.

After they had all left, my stomach literally ached as I thought about all the culturally offensive things I have unknowingly done and am still doing! It kills me to know that there are things that I do here without realizing the messages they are communicating. This whole experience came with incredible timing, because it really challenged me to check myself in what I'm doing here. I criticize them for not engaging in the culture and interacting mostly with other Americans, yet I have done nothing but the same. I spend the majority of my time on campus with the other American students, including lunch, but I am now changing that. Also, since I have recently been feeling more comfortable with my family here, I was going to loosen up a little more and be myself. I now realize that "being myself" would only make matters worse because the parts of my "self" that I have been withholding are very American and would not necessarily be received well in this culture. I will instead continue to observe how my family members here interact with each other and incorporate those things into my life.

Our parents never said anything negative about the evening after our guests left, only positive things. I respect Henry and Irene even more now, and Caroline and I expressed great thanks to them later for being so understanding towards us, especially in the first few days when we didn't have a clue how to live and interact in this culture. Our family is incredible!

Prayer requests:
-from 7pm-7am our time, (11-11 EST) our church will be having an ongoing intercessory prayer service as there will be a similar event going on simultaneously among those who practice witchcraft here locally. These people normally meet in more private settings but are now wanting to do things publically so our church here is responding with this all night prayer service. Several of us students will be joining in this prayer service for a few hours and I'm sure this will be an experience unlike any I've had before - I will keep you posted on this!

Mzungu Night!

I can't believe I'm starting my fourth week here already...time is flying now! I think we are all finally starting to get really comfortable with each other as a family, even though the members of the family keep changing. School is starting up again for all the kids here so some people are no longer staying at our house. Imma (whose name I was mispelling as 'Ema') left on Friday, but we thought she was leaving Sunday so we did not get to say goodbye. Also for the past week Reverend's younger brother and sister, Becca (16 or 17) and Elisha (15 or 16) have been staying with us but Becca left today to go back to school. So this is the current family roster - Msumba (the Luganda word for 'Reverend'), Mama Irene, Elisha, Rittah, Grace, Enoch, Caroline, and me - and this actually seems to be quite small for a typical African household!

I've had some interesting conversations with my family lately. First of all, I am surprised at how much our parents here compliment us on how "smart" Caroline and I always dress. They have actually thanked us several times for dressing so well because usually, Mzungu students bring their casual concept of dress over here with them and don't really make an effort to fit into the culture in this way. I guess it really does have a big impact on how people receive you!

We have also been talking about some of the differences in weather between here and America - especially Michigan! Mama Irene was asking me about what we do when it snows, and apparently she always thought that life just stops during winter. She thought that no one went to work or school when it snowed and everyone just stayed inside all the time! She asked me how people travel when there's snow on the roads and I attempted t tell her about plows and salt trucks. Then she legitimately asked me how those trucks drive through the snow. She thought maybe we had to drop the salt from planes because it would just be impossible to drive through snow! The whole conversation was very eye-opening for both of us I think. For someone who has lived in Africa her whole life, the ideas she had about snow actually make sense when you think about it. It has been fun thus far to see parts of my world back home through different eyes.

This weekend Caroline and I went with our parents to a college graduation party for our new friend Dambale. She just met Caroline and me last week when she came over to the house to visit, and the next thing we knew, we were invited to her graduation party! It was quite different than any open house I've been to in the states. For one thing it officially started around noon or 1, but when we showed up at 2:30 there was still no one there! Gotta love African time. After visiting and meeting people for about an hour, the presentation/ceremony began. This involved everyone sitting in rows of chairs on the front lawn with Dambale and some of her family at a table in front of us. There were several pastors there, so in addition to some prayers and songs led by our host father, another pastor gave a short sermon. We sang several songs in Luganda at random times throughout the event and it was a blast! The whole thing was really a great experience, and apparently we are going to another one next Sunday!

Yesterday at church there was a missions team visiting from Muskegon, MI! One of them preached the sermon and the others introduced themselves and also gave a guitar to the worship band as a gift! We talked briefly with them afterwards, thinking we may or may not see them again, but later that afternoon Msumba came home and told us that all the "Michigan guys" were going to come over for dinner Monday night and said we should cook some American food for them! After thinking about the ingredients and cooking facilities we have here, Caroline and I decided that Sloppy Joes would be a feasible dinner to prepare.

I called my dad to get his recipe for the sauce, and it's sort of funny - the first time I call home is mainly for the purpose of asking how to cook sloppy joes! It was really good to hear my parents voices though, of course!

So no pressure or anything right? We just have to cook sloppy joes (which I've never done) over hot coals (which I've also never done, but thankfully, Caroline has) for about 20 people! Thankfully, our family is also cooking the normal African food we eat every night as well so if something goes wrong there will be food to eat! We normally eat dinner here between 9 and 10 pm but we are moving it up to 7 so that it's closer to Mzungu dinner time. People here usually don't worry about eating at specific times, they eat "when food is ready," or as Msumba says, "Here, we don't eat time, we eat food!"

I'm sure no matter what happens tonight we will all have a good time so I will try to stop worrying so much enjoy the experience! I will definitely let you know how everything turns out, complete with pictures too!

Thank you so much for your prayers and comments - they are such a blessing read!

Weekend Adventures

Unexpected culture:
-When you ask a Ugandan a question and it seems like they are not responding, it’s not that they don’t understand or are just being rude. If you watch closely you notice that they often raise their eyebrows to say “yes” – the equivalent of our silent nod “yes.”

This weekend was jam packed with learning, new experiences, frustration, and relaxation. Part of the missions emphasis track (IMME) in this program is taking weekend trips, so the 12 of us who are in home stays all semester headed about an hour away to Jinja for a few days. We stayed at a guest house and were spoiled with incredible food all weekend (french toast!).

The actual purpose of these weekend trips is to talk to missionaries in various parts of Uganda to learn about their ministries and ministry in Uganda in general. We met a couple who has been doing prison ministry here for about 10 years and it was incredible to hear their stories and insights. I realized that while I have learned a lot about the culture already, I really know nothing! There is so much to learn and 4 months is actually extremely short!

We also talked to 3 guys who started a cafe in Jinja called "The Source" and it's actually a cafe, library, gift shop and internet cafe all in one. Jinja is home to the source of the Nile River, hence the name of the shop. We learned so much about Ugandan culture and the challenges of ministering in Uganda. Already I am learning new things that pertain to issues we've talked about in classes at IWU, and I never would have thought about them had I not come here. For example, in past classes there has always been an emphasis on discipleship and developing churches overseas to the point where you can turn over leadership to nationals. The goal is to establish ministries to the extent that their success does not depend on the missionaries anymore. One thing that the missionaries here said though was that Ugandans are hesitant to fully accept this idea. While they accept responsibility and take leadership in ministry, they do not see a reason for the missionaries to leave. To them it makes absolutely no sense why someone would come along side them, build this ministry and these relationships, and basically say, "I think you can handle this now, so see you later!" In this community/relationship focused society, this process sends the message that the relationships mean nothing. This is something I never thought about in my classes. I always assumed that nationals would want their ministries to function independently from the missionaries as soon as possible, but the Ugandan perspective puts a whole new spin on things. To make a long story short, my experiences here are already stretching my thinking beyond what I've learned in the classroom.

Something a little lighter that I'm noticing as a cultural difference is food. I expected the food to be different and it is, but I never realized that I had expectations about the purpose of eating food. Obviously, we all eat food for nourishment and to live, but as an American, I eat more for pleasure than I realized. Here, people eat food to fill the stomach. This becomes apparent as matoke is served at almost every meal - a heap of mashed bananas, steamed for several hours, resulting in a substance that has absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. It fills you up really fast though!

Living on a diet of mushy steamed bananas, potatoes, rice covered in purple ground nut sauce, and the occasional chunk of fatty meat for a couple weeks has brought me to the realization that I rely on food for pleasure more than I should. Saturday night we went to a really nice restaurant in Jinja and had pizza and cheeseburgers - I thought I had died and gone to heaven! I actually woke up in the middle of the night last week craving cheese, just a plain slice of cheese! They don't use it for anything here! Anyways, I have been realizing that I place way to much value in food since I get ridiculously excited about something like cheese and feel deprived without it after 2 weeks.

In addition to great food, the weekend included a short tour of Jinja. We went to the bank of the source of the Nile, a slum, and a hospital. Needless to say, it was a lot to process in one day. The missionaries have nicknamed one part of the slum "ting-ting" because it is essentially a compound where people bang metal into usable items like trunks, doors, pots, etc., for a living. Apparently this crowded, chaotic place is the best opportunity for employment for most of the population of Jinja. It was quite an eye-opening experience to say the least. Going to the hospital confirmed something for me - I am not cut out for working with sick people! We went to a tuberculosis ward and were told to visit/pray with patients for about 5-10 minutes. I basically froze - how was I supposed to even approach these people? Part of me thinks that if I was going to talk with the patients for more than 5 minutes I would have been more open to the idea because 5 minutes seems so pointless, but what do I know?

After a crazy afternoon we actally took a boat ride on Lake Victoria and the Nile - a great way to unwind! It was so beautiful and exciting because not only were we on the famous River Nile, we were at the source of the Nile! We all took pictures at the place where they begin counting mile 1 of about 4,000!

There's so much more I could say, but I haven't even talked about Sunday yet so I'll move on! Sunday we went to a small baptist church in Jinja that has a huge vision for church planting - 3,000 churches all over Uganda by 2010! One of our fellow students, Kyle, preached the sermon through a translator and did a fantastic job. I don't think I could do it! The worship was quite an experience because all the songs were in Luganda and we just clapped and "danced" along! At one point while they were singing they invited everyone to close their eyes and lift their hands, and this was one of my favorite moments of this whole semester so far. To hear a small congregation praising God in their beautiful native language and silently join in that worship was incredible - words do not do justice in describing the experience!

After an intense weekend, it was actually really nice to come home to our family. I missed them so much after those few days! I don't even want to think about how I'm going to feel after a few months, knowing that I will have to leave them for a lot longer! However, I do miss home quite often already - family, friends, IWU, cheese (haha)...
At the same time I love being here and getting to know these people. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Prayer requests:
-Doing homework! Who has time for that stuff when you're trying to experience Africa?!
-My stomach has not been happy with me the past couple nights. Thankfully there has been no throwing up yet but it's been close and it doesn't seem to be getting better.
-Emotional and mental strength for the times that I realize I'm not actually with my real family. I love these people and they are so good to me, but I miss my brother and parents back home a lot! It's hard being out of your own cultural context and having almost a constant feeling of uncertainty. I hope that with time, that feeling will fade.

A Day In the Life

My alarm goes off around 6:30. I sit up in bed under my mosquito net and talk to God, knowing that as soon as I leave my room I will have virtually no time alone that is not looked upon with suspicion. After preparing to face the day, I fight my way out from under the mosquito net, grab some TP and head out the back door, as indoor plumbing is a thing of the past for me. I say "Good morning" to Mama Irene and Rita, who have already been up cooking breakfast and washing clothes. I make my way up the stairs of the backyard, to the latrine, and am greeted by swarms of flies, and 4 lizards which we have named Lima, Eva, David, and Solomon. I'll spare you the details of the smell.

I return to my room, gather some things and head through my parent’s bedroom to the bathroom. After engaging in the task of bathing from a small basin of water, I finish getting ready for school and have breakfast - tea with "biscuits" (cookies). I then brush my teeth with bottled water, spitting into the dirt by the brush of the backyard. Every day I realize how much I took running water for granted.

Caroline and I sometimes walk to school, though lately our dad has been driving us since Caroline hurt her knee. On a typical walk, we tread down the rocky, dirt path to a more traveled dirt road, looking downward so as to not trip on the rocks and unpredictable crevices while wearing dress shoes. A few cars and boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) whiz by, missing us by an inch or two. We pass the spot where some taxis wait for business and the drivers shout to us, "Mzungu! (the non-derogatory term used to identify a white person) Mzungu! You are so beautiful, let me accompany you!" We smile and shake our heads no, continuing our walk up the hill in the hot sun. We pass Ugandans heading to work, and women carrying 10 gallon jerricans of water atop their heads. Birds are singing, laughing, and some sound like monkeys, as we pass tall green grass and banana trees. We finally enter the back gate to the university and make our way across campus to the IMME lounge - the equivalent of a commuter lounge - where we can access the internet, study, and share our experiences with the other off campus USP students.

Classes vary from day to day. Some are 2 hours, some 1. Mine are all in the same classroom, but for my missions class we meet in a hut and have tea, discussing things more than enduring lectures. In African literature we are taught by Dr. Mukakanya, whom I could listen to all day. He’s sort of like Wilbur Williams, only Ugandan. For African Traditional Religions, Islam, and Christianity, we strain to understand Dr. Opol through his thick Ugandan accent, but we are all amused when he giggles at certain points of the lecture.

After a long day at school (usually 8:30 – 6:00) we return home and greet our family as they take a break from cooking and serve us tea. I think about how we would normally be eating dinner back home at this time, and I am thankful for the tea and biscuits that tide us over till dinner. Throughout the evening we talk to Mama Irene as she irons, learning Luganda and talking about everything from food to serious relationships. We wander outside and chat with the girls as they cook over the fire. The matoke has been steaming away for 3 hours in the pot, enveloped in banana leaves. Ema is washing dishes, Grace is stirring porridge for Enoch, and Rita is cutting fresh peppers and onions to spice up the Irish potatoes. If Enoch is not eating dirt or rocks, he is “singing” and banging something around – anything to make noise! Reverend talks in a high voice to Enoch, who replies in the same tone with baby talk, resulting in a sweet song of father and son “conversation.” As we wait for dinner to finish cooking and helping where we can, we sit on the back porch under the stars, watching the girls dance to the radio in the moonlight. The power goes out about every other night. When this happens, we light oil lanterns and life continues as usual since we do not rely on electricity for much here anyway.

It is somewhere between 9 and 10 PM, and we finally all gather in the sitting room for dinner. After we pray, we wait as some get food from the thermal pots on the coffee table in the center of the room. Mama Irene invites us to get food. I take a bowl and fork from the stack on the table and scoop matoke, potatoes, and sometimes fresh fish into my bowl, topping it all off with some kind of vegetable “soup” (sauce). We may talk of the things of the day, or eat in silence, content with each others company. Mama Irene asks, “Is it sweet?” meaning, “Is it delicious?” “Yes, very sweet,” we reply, thanking those who cooked the meal. Reverend wishes everyone a good night and we help the girls clear the table.

After talking a little while longer with the girls, sharing stories and pictures, we wish everyone a goodnight and return to our room. Caroline goes straight to bed, so I write in my journal by flashlight, processing the day. I go to bed around 11:00, thinking of how I would never get this much sleep at IWU, and thanking God for this incredible Ugandan family of which I get to be a part.

Fitting In

Unexpected Culture: -In Uganda they do not see the "man in the moon" they see a woman sitting and holding a baby.
-Often times people will say, "Oh, you have gained weight" or "You are looking fat" which is actually a compliment! What they consider to be fat, we would consider average or healthy, so I am almost fat and that is a good thing to them!

There were so many new experiences this weekend, it's going to be hard to choose what to write about.

First of all, we met our mother on Wednesday, Mama Irene. She is such a sweet person, and it's too bad she is only home Wednesday through Sunday. The things that are going on in Kenya have hiked fuel prices to about $5 a gallon here, so it is much to expensive for Mama Irene to travel back and forth to work 3 days in a row.

Our family attends St. Philip & Andrew's Cathedral of Mukono, an Anglican church. Our father preached the sermon and directed most of the service yesterday, but I think he was filling in for someone else because he said many of the bishops were gone that day. I loved the service because of the liturgy, reciting the Apostle's Creed, and the music, which was mostly famililiar. We sang some choruses but also some hymns like Blessed Assurrance, Standing on the Promises, and What a Friend we have in Jesus. The hymns were familiar but the music was so upbeat and lively - it was great! It reminded me of Lakeview Wesleyan in Marion, IN because everyone was swaying and dancing! One of the choruses was in Luganda and it was so great to praise God in another language.

"Tusiime Mukama, Aleluya
Tusiime Mukama, Amiina, Amiina"

It means, "Come let us praise the Lord / Alleluia / Amen"

After church we had a quick lunch and then began preparing dinner. Grace taught me how to peel Matoke (green bananas used to make the sweet yellow mush we eat at almost every meal), and Mama Irene taught me how to peel Irish potatoes and cut them into "chips" or fries basically. They do everything with huge knives so it's not quite as easy as using a peeler. I love helping them prepare food because there is so much opportunity for conversation and language learning. I am learning a decent amount of Luganda already, and it is beautiful but difficult because it is a tonal language. If you change the inflection or tone of voice the word means something different.

For several hours on Sunday our parents were away, so we got to see quite a different side of Grace and Ema. Grace draped some toilet paper around here neck and said "I am the pastor!" Then, she imitated a shampoo commercial and also did a short skit with Ema - they are so funny! I will try to post some pictures, but the internet here is very slow so no promises. Our baby brother Enoch is also warming up to me, and he makes us all so happy as he is always dancing and "talking".

I am beginning to find my place as a member of the family, but there are still a lot of times when I am uncertain of what to do. It is so different to live in a community oriented culture rather than the individualistic culture of America. Everyone is usually doing something together, or at least in the same room. If you go to your room by yourself to do something or take a nap they assume you are sick or something is wrong. This will be a positive adjustment for me, I think, but at times it can be overwhelming.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers - I am sleeping peacefully now (7-9 hrs a night!), and I am finding adequate time to do my homework during the day. I actually don't have any class on tuesdays so it makes a nice substitute for a Saturday. Since we aren't really supposed to do homework at our home stays, it takes the stress away at home because I can spend time with my family and not feel like I should be doing homework. I never expected it to work out this well!

Prayer requests:
-Continuing to find my place in the family
-Continued health
-Learning how to express love and appreciation in a culture that is so different

It's official!

There are so many cultural differences and unexpected things that I experience here everyday, so from now on I may begin each post with an "unexpected culture" section. So for today-

Unexpected Culture:
-Our host family loves country music and we listen to it on a radio station called "The Bob" every morning!
-When someone says "You are smart" they are complimenting you on being well-dressed.

As you can see from my previous post, my thoughts are very scattered because of culture shock. I hope that future posts will make more sense as I grow accustomed to the culture and learn to process things here, so thanks for bearing with me in the meantime!

Last night Caroline (the other American student rooming with me) and I were given names from the clan of our host father, the Reverend. So it's official - at my home here in Uganda, my name is Naiga, of the Kob clan, of the Muganda tribe. Reverend said that the name itself does not mean anything in particular but it sets me apart as a member of his clan.

So now, Nalubega (Caroline) and I are no longer visitors but are a part of the family! This means we get to learn how to do various chores like cooking over the fire, washing clothes by hand, and cleaning latrines I'm sure! It is so much less awkward now that we are not guests anymore because we can all be more open with each other. Last night was the first night that the 3 girls in the house, Rita, Grace, and Ema came into our room. We shared stories and photos, and it was just nice to finally connect with them on a more personal level.

I have finally had some classes now, and I can already see that this is going to be an incredibly tough semester, but definitely worth it. Unfortunately, I don't have any classes with Ugandan students, just USP students, but I do have some professors who Ugandan. It is a challenge to adjust to the teaching style and even the accent, but again it is an incredible opportunity to learn from the national perspective.

At this point, I really don't know how I am going to handle the challenge of time management this semester so I could really use prayer for this. I have just as much of a course load as a normal IWU semester, but now I am a commuter, have a family to spend time with in the evening and on weekends, and have very limited resources for books. We don't buy all our textbooks here, we just check them out of the library, but there are only a few copies of each book. I will have to be very disciplined during the day to do all my homework in the hours that I don't have classes, because when I go home I spend time with the family and do my share of the work.

I feel so blessed to be having this experience, but with classes it is simply overwhelming. As I get busier with assignments I definitely won't be posting every other day, but I will do my best to keep you posted.

Prayer requests:
-I am having trouble getting to sleep at night. I get so tired after dinner (which is usually around 10pm) but when I actually lie down I can't fall asleep for hours
-Learning how to show love and gratitude to my family here

Soon to be Ugandan

Hello everyone! We all arrived safely Sunday night and spent the night together at a convent. We had tea at about 10pm and basically went straight to bed as we were exhausted!

This first night - wow - so crazy! At least I was used to sleeping under mosquito netting already from last semester, but I wasn't prepared for the noises! Things crawling in the bushes, some kind of bird that sounds like it's laughing (I think it's a bird!), crickets, cows, roosters at 2am, bats, and who knows what else. There's a constant burnt smell everywhere because they burn most of their trash here. The trash bins say "burnable" and "non-burnable".

Anyways, Monday we drove to the capital city of Kampala and exchanged our American dollars for Ugandan Shillings. This is going to be confusing because you get about 1600 shillings for every US dollar. For example, it caught us all off guard when we were told that if we lose our meal card it would cost us about 5000. Of course we were all thinking dollars and started cracking up when we realized they meant 5000 shillings!

Driving through the cities and towns reminded me so much of the jungle towns in Peru, but everything is in English so that is nice. Traffic is crazy of course and we've been riding around on a big UCU bus. Outside of Kampala most of the roads are dirt and VERY bumpy! After changing our money we went to the university and it is so different! It's beautiful and the dining hall and main lecture hall are outside - there's a roof but no walls. There are chickens all over campus - it's so funny to sit in a classroom and hear chickens while the professor is talking! It's very hilly and there are roads and pathways but they are uneven, rocky, and muddy so just walking around campus is a challenge. Quite a far cry from the abundant sidewalks of IWU!

We ate in the dining hall for lunch and had Matoke which is cooked bananas (a staple of Uganda), rice and some kind of square thing that tasted like flour. Oh and don't forget the purple peanut sauce that they spoon over everything to make it not so dry! It was all good but they give you so much! Also, there are no choices at meals - one line, what you see is what you get.

After orientation and registration (we didn't actually have class on Monday) we went to stay with our host families. I dont' think I could ever adequately describe all the feelings and thoughts that came with this experience! Can you imagine arriving in an African country and the next day, loading up in a van with all your luggage and driving through small neighborhoods to meet your new family? I was so excited and nervous, and when we dropped off the first person some of us got emotional and started crying (happy tears of course), because the family looked so happy and welcoming! I have an American roommate, Caroline, so that makes it a little easier to adjust. We were dropped off last and we only have about a 15 minute walk to school.

Ugandans are known for their hospitality and I definitely see why! We are staying with a reverend, henry and his wife Irene. We actually haven't met Irene yet because she works as a nurse out of town so she's only home every few days. They have a 1 and a half year old son! He is so adorable and loves to peek into our room and smile and watch us! I will hopefully be able to post pictures soon. There are also 3 other girls that live in the house - Rita is a family friend, Grace is the young sister of Irene, and Ema is also a friend. Africans have a lot of extended family that live with them, and I think ours is small compared to everyone else's host family.

We do have electricity at the house so that is a blessing, but no running water of course! The bathroom is exactly what it's name says - a room to bathe yourself in. If you have to go, you say "where's the toilet?" but of course it's not a toilet. It's a shed with a whole in the ground, so now I have experienced the squatty potty! And you can't go after midnight because it's too dangerous so you have to plan ahead! Bathing consists of standing in a shallow basin of water and taking a sponge bath. Good times. Let's just say I won't be washing my hair as often as usual this semester!

Wow this is forever long but so many things have happened! I wish I could describe to you the excitement of getting up and brushing my teeth outside in the morning amongst the chickens, banana trees, and red mud. This is going to be a great 4 months!

Prayer requests:

Continued health
Adjusting to new routines and food
Bonding with my family

It's Time

It definitely snuck up on me. Less than 12 hours before my parents and I begin the treck to D.C. and nothing is packed - just laying out all over my room. There's still so much to do and so little time, but that's okay because at this point I just want to BE THERE. The sooner the better!

It's been so great and encouraging to catch up with friends this week. I am blown away by all your incredible prayer support and even the comments on the first post. I wish I could express to you how much your prayers mean the me - I don't take that support lightly.

So here's the plan:

My parents and I will drive to Virginia Friday, and then to D.C. Saturday. They will drop me off at Dulles airport around 3pm when I will get to meet the other USP students. At 6pm we fly from D.C. to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Entebbe in Uganda. We're scheduled to arrive in Uganda at 9pm on Sunday (1pm eastern time). We will probably all be exhausted and jet lagged, and then we get to start classes the next morning! That scares me.

There are already a few cultural differences that I find interesting and I'm not even there yet! I know that I am attending classes on monday, but I do not know for sure which ones! I know which ones I would like to take, but I don't know when or how it becomes official. At IWU we know a month or two in advance what classes we're taking, when and where they meet, etc. At UCU we may have to check on a daily or weekly basis to find out what time our classes meet. That will take some getting used to!

Also, when Ugandan students go to class they dress very professionally, so I'll be wearing skirts everyday. As I've been buying clothes for this semester I often look more like a teacher than a student, at least by IWU standards! I will definitely miss the jeans and hoody default that we students all know and love! Also, we've been told we should bring a full-length, modest nightgown to sleep in for homestays since the family will likely be conservative. I bought one today and I am officially declaring it my first humbling experience of the trip. :)
I know I haven't technically even left yet, but I say it counts.

Anyways, how can you pray for me? Well, besides the obvious "safe travel" request, please pray that I will adapt well as I enter a different culture, attempt to sleep, and then go off to classes that will be totally different than anything I've experienced.

Please pray that I will be able to step outside of my comfort zone and take the initiative to meet and interact with Ugandan students, as I'm sure my instincts will tell me to cling to the other American students instead.

Pray for my separation anxiety from my cello!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I know it's wierd, I don't care. In the past several years I haven't gone more than about 3 weeks without playing it, so 4 MONTHS is kind of a big deal. However, I've heard that there may be one at the YMCA in the capital city, Kampala (15 miles from campus) that I could play every once in awhile. That would be a blessing!

Please pray that God would grant me the grace to trust him in everything. He has been faithful in amazing ways already.