missing this place of LOVE

The past few weeks Africa and especially Uganda and where I spent my time this summer have been really heavy on my heart. I go through life here each day so fast and never really stop to think of how lucky I am and all the blessings in my life. This past week though I finally allowed myself some much need down (and break down) time. I was wishing so bad just to be sitting on the little pattio of the upstairs room at the White House looking out over the hills of Nansana. Looking through all of my picture of the smiling little childen, tears form in my eyes. They have so much spirit and joy that I feel I don't let myself truly experience in my life back in the states. Sometimes I still feel like I don't fit in with anyone and am just wondering through life. Other times I catch myself living a life that is not me, going through life like I never even experienced all that Uganda had to bring to me. I find those times to be when I struggle the most and fell disconnect from the Lord. Finding a good balance is still a struggle but when I make myself aware, and process my fellings, I am able to run with it. I can't wait for the day when I can make it back to Uganda and have yet another amazing and unforgettable experience.

Home Sweet Home

After spending 30 amazing days in Uganda I am happy to say that it was great sleeping in my own bed last night. But after going through all my pictures this morning I wanted to hop on a plane and go right back! This experience will be unforgettable. I was able to experience so many wonderful things and my eyes have definitely been opened in a new way. I went into this trip hoping I would be able to make a difference in some lives but I have to honestly say that that people in Uganda made more of a difference in my life. These people know how to truly love and have the most joy that I have ever seen in people. Little kids no more than the age of 5, that have multiple wounds, flies crawling all over them and tattered clothes know how to truly laugh and just be happy.

The last day of the trip, Tuesday Aug. 2nd, I spent at the farm for the opening ceremony for the 2011/2012 Farming God's Way class. It was so wonderful to get to see these 6 students so bright eyed and excited to start their year long course. It was so great to see all the hard work that some of the other volunteers and I put into the farm be appreciated. This little, tedious tasks that we sometimes complained about, like moving bricks from one side of the yard to the other, or painting logs with oil to keep the termites off make all the difference to the farm looking at the highest standard and it really paid off at the end.

For our last school outing we got to take grades 3, 4 and 5 to a local swimming pool. It is not something these children are use to. Actually, most Ugandans fear water, in amounts larger than a basin used for bathing. These children had so much fun though and did an amazing job for only having swam a handful of times. It was pretty chaotic, lots of splashing and screaming, but no one drowned or got hurt so it was a successful day.

I have so many memories and stories from Uganda that will always have a special place in my heart. I am so thankful that I was blessed with this opportunity and will be forever changed from it. Without all the prayer and support it wouldn't have been possible so thanks to everyone who helped me get there! As always I have so much that I could write about my trip that it would get to long, but I would love to share more with anyone who wants to know! Uganda currently has a huge part of my heart and I hope that someday I will be lucky enough to make it back there to serve again with amazing people! Remember: Love Hard.

peace.love.joy

Final Days

I am writing from an internet cafe. Two of the girls and I had some time before dinner so we decided to walk up the street to find a place where we could get online for a little longer. So I thought I would add a little bit more to my last update.

The days sure are winding down. Projects are starting to wrap up and I feel so great about everything I have done here. Yesterday I spent the day working at the school. I love getting to see all the little kids and how happy they are to learn. It was a short day though because we had to be back early for a surprise dinner before Prayer Mountain. They took us to a place called Mamba Point where we got pizza!! It was so amazing and very much needed to help get us through this last week. Then we attempted to go to Prayer Mountain which I mentioned in my last post. We got all the way to the top to find out that it was closed. We made our own prayer spot and it was still an amazing experience. So beautiful. Today I spent the day working at the farm. I get to work on my tan out there :) I spent most of today weeding along the fence line with the other girl that went. Good relationship building time though.

Went for a run today when we got home. It was only 2 miles which I thought would be a piece of cake but it was probably close to 90 out and was REALLY hard. But it was super nice to get out and run. I had to do some of my laundry too so that I can get through these last few days. Tomorrow I will be going back to the school to teach my last music class, and Friday I will be working at the Slum base painting and planting. Saturday we may potentially go and raft the Niel River but it is still a work in progress. Sunday is our day off and it will probably just be a lot of hanging out and maybe a little shopping at the market. Monday we will probably all be going to the farm to welcome those in the new class that will be starting. And Tuesday is a surprise. So little time left that I just want to take everything in.

I didn't do very good planning before I left because I found out once I got here I have an overnight layover at the Heathrow airport and they close from 12am-4am. Luckily there are three girls I have gotten to know who are going to be kind enough to let me stay will them since I am there for a shorter time then they are. I'm so excited to get to see another place on my way home.

Well, that's all for now. If I get time Sunday I will post again. If not, I'll write when I return home! Love hard.

peace.love.joy

Real World Uganda

Just a breif update this morning. We were out in the village Wednesday-Sunday so weren't able to get online at all and have limited time this morning before the day starts. But I just wanted to let everyone know I am alive and well and still having an amazing time! Each day Africa gets better and better! I love it! We have had so many amazing experiences the last week and so many more to come in our final 8 days. AHHHH so crazy to think that my time here is almost over.

On Sunday we got to go to the Nile River. It is so beautiful! Got to stick my feet in the water and then we all decided to dunk our heads in too. It was great to get to go out and do a little site seeing.

Yesterday we did a scavenger hunt around the city. It was pretty much like Amazing Race. It was crazy and frustrating but so much fun and really cool to get to see more of the city Kampala. It's so different from anything we have really seen yet is still so third world and different than anything I have ever experienced.

Tonight we are going to Prayer Mt. It is a whole mountain top that a guy purchased and turned into Prayer Mt. I'm not really sure what to expect but I'm excited to see what it brings.

Again I wish I could write more but I'm out of time today! I'll see you all in 9 days and can't wait to share all my stories and pictures! Love Hard!

peace.love.joy

Mzungus

Another great week in Uganda! Everywhere we go all the little children point at us and say 'Hi Mzungu'. Which is 'Hi white person'. We probably hear it about 50 times a days. It is amazing how young some of these children are and they know that we are mzungus! It seems like it is every childs first word here. We have been going pretty much non-stop every day until today. It has been nice though keeping busy. It's still crazy to me that I had my 21^st birthday here and it was very different than in the US. Here they call it ‘bath-day’ because most people can’t afford gifts so they shower you with water instead. I went all day without getting a 'bath' but the whole house got me really good that night. I was not expecting it at all but I sure felt extra clean after!  I spent this week between the school and the farm. I wanted to go to the slum base and work on the projects there but wasn’t able to make it.

The farm is 20 acres total, 7 on the side with the bunk house and animal pens and 13 on the side where all the crops are growing. There is a lot of land that is not being used yet because it is too hard to manage. At the farm they use the technique Farming Gods Way. It is a more natural or organic way to farming. They don’t water the crops; they lay what is called ‘Gods Blanket’ or the waste from harvested crop and dead grass over the planted seeds to help keep the moisture in the ground. Also the way the plant their crop produces about twice the amount of a normal farmers crop. It’s a technique that they go to school at the farm for a year to learn because you have to find just the right amount to put. Monday at the farm we did a lot of labor. I spent my 21^st birthday there moving a pile of bricks from one end of the yard to the other. Then we got to pick weeds in the carrot patch and move ‘Gods Blanket’ to the crops. It really was a fun day though and there is no place I would have rather been. I also spent Wednesday at the farm painting logs that separate the crops from the path with oil so that the termites wouldn’t eat them. We also got to set fire to a large termite hill that wasn't all the way dead and in the way of our fence. It was pretty exciting to watch. Haha

At the school we were again filled with lots of busy work. Mostly wrapping books with plastic covers for the library so it will help them last longer. We also helped organize the storage closest with all the donated school supplies. I got to work in the classroom some which was really nice. On Tuesdays I am helping with another girl teach cursive in the grade 5 room and on Thursdays another girl and I are helping with choir class. These kids are so amazing. They are always just so filled with joy and love having us around! Probably the work but biggest accomplishment project was when we spent almost all day Friday weeding a bean field. My legs are quite sore from it and my back got pretty burnt but it was something that needed to be done to help the crop grow so the kids at the school can have food. I got a pretty bad rash from it too but a little benadryl helped me out.

Yesterday we did another medical clinic in a little village near the school we work at. I was more excited for this one because I knew what to expect. It was a lot different than the clinic in the slums though. First off there weren’t as many people so it was a lot more laid back. Also the children seemed to be a lot more aggressive and had more respect for everyone so it was more fun.

On Wednesday we will be heading back to the village Kilaro which is where we spent our first two nights. We will be there for 4 nights this time and are setting up a medical clinic to do there and a soccer game for all the kids. It will be a semi relaxing four days spent with lots of children.

Again there is just so much to share I feel like I could write a few books. The food is getting a little hard to eat because it is just so much starches – beans and rice almost every day. I brought enough cliff bars though for 2 every day that are definitely helping hold me over. I found an almost Kit-Kat-Bar the other day at a little market by our house which was a nice little treat. We have also been getting a lot of pineapple and mango which are sooo amazing here! That’s all I have to share for now but I’ll write again next week! Love Hard.

peace.love.joy

touch down in Uganda

Hello All!

We made it to Uganda. It has pretty much been non-stop since we got here. But since today is Sunday it is our rest day. Which is much needed. Our plane landed early in the morning so we got picked up by the CLD staff and headed straight to the village Kaliro. It was two more hours of travel out to a pretty isolated area. We were thrown right into the Ugandan culture there. First off it is really hot here! I'm not sure what the actual temperature is but it is also quite humid so it's hot.

In the village we all (20 of us, staff and team) stayed in one pretty small building. 6 of us shared 3 twin mattresses to sleep on the two nights we were there. The village consisted of playing with lots of kids, getting really really dirty, using the long drop (or toilet if you can even call it that) and a basin bath (pouring water on yourself with a cup our of a basin). It was great going there for the first days though because there was nothing around so we really got to bond as a group and see life in Uganda.

On Friday we traveled two hours back to The White House (our base camp). Very different from the village. We have a pretty large house with full bathrooms where we could actually take a semi decent shower and use a normal toilet. We also all have out own beds which is so nice! Our main base is just the house. Then there is our slum base which we visited, the school grounds at WCIA, and the farm which we have yet to go to. Yesterday we did a medical clinic in the slums. I was really nervous going into it because I had no idea what we would see. I helped work the vitamin station. We went out early and walked through the slums to get the word out and then had the clinic. Mostly children came and then some mothers with their babies. They got to wash their hands, take de-worming pills, eat a vitamin, get sprayed for head fungi, get any medical attention for cuts if needed, and brush their teeth. There were a few kids and adults that showed up with some pretty bad wounds and we helped them out the best we could.

When we travel here we ride in these van cabs. They typically hold 14 people but when we go with our whole group we jam about 20 people into one. Driving is a little scary, and I'm still not used to driving on the opposite side of the road. These are some of the best drivers though so although it can be nerve racking I trust them. The food has been a test for me. But I have tried everything and have to say I enjoy almost all of it. Its pretty bland food and a lot of the same things over and over but its food. Lots of beans, rice and potatoes. I brought so many cliff bars with me though and I am so thankful!

There is so much I want to share I feel like I could write a book. I can't believe our first week is already done though. I am so excited for what all this trip holds! Internet is hard to get here but on Sundays they open it up for the house to use so I probably wont write again for a week. Everything here is great though and I can't wait to really share everything when I get home!

peace.love.joy

final prep days

58 hours, 30 minutes, until my plane departs from LAX! I can't believe it's this close! Since Feburary this trip has seemed so far away and that there was so much to do to make it possible but it is finally (almost) here and I can say the wait was well worth it! I have been working on packing for the last 3 or 4 days now and every time I sort it all out I still feel like I'm missing something. It's quite hard packing for a country you have never been to and for not know what we are really going to be doing. But I guess whatever I don't have I won't need. I'm taking all my personal stuff in my backpacking backpack and plan on carrying that on with me. I got a ton of school supplies and toiletrees to take over as donations with me which is super awesome! I will be checking a seperate suitcase containing just those things.

I am so ready for this opportunity that the Lord has called me to. I know that I am going to be able to spend some sweet time with Him and just so excited for all He has to offer. I ask for you're continued prayer support for the safety of our whole group, for unity, and for love and joy for everything that we will be doing.

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter  3:15

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

I will try to update my blog as much as I can while I am away but as of right now I am not yet sure of what our internet access will be like.  

peace.love.joy