Goodbye St. Agnes... (and many other things... I just couldn't come up with a catchy title)

Saturday: Today I went to St. Agnes’ Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting.  I certainly stood out, and was publically thanked for the work I am doing with the children (which in all honesty could barely be called “work”).  They invited me to give a speech, as well.  If you remember, in my last post I mentioned that it is common to be put on the spot publically, this was no different.  I thanked the teachers for their work, I thanked the administration for allowing me the opportunity, and I thanked the parents for sending their kids to school.  Education is a blessing that I have taken for granted.  I talked a little bit about Joy of a Child, and then invited David to talk about JOAC more.  When we arrived back the house I had the urge to do something out of the ordinary, so I invited Patrick (one of the JOAC boys) to go to Enciche with me to buy chapatti flour.  Chapatti is comparable to Indian bread called Naan.  It was fun to talk to Patrick about his life and treat him to a “sweetie” of his choice.  Brian and I made the chapatti together, once we arrived at the house.  It was a nice treat, and was enjoyed by all… especially me. Kamari, Shiba’s son, and I have a little feud.  I have reported him in “Family Court” for crying every time he sees me (obviously, this is a joke), but today was the first time in almost 5 weeks that he let me hold him without bawling his eyes out!  David took a picture so I would remember the moment forever. Ha.  I think we will end up being really good friends, a person cannot have enough 1 ½ year old friendsJ. After dinner, we had another dance competition and Davin directed a skit to end the evening.  I love playing, dancing, and singing with these children.  They are brilliant, talented, and they have bright futures ahead.

Sunday: Today I woke up with a little sinus flu.  I have been sneezing all day and I have a sore throat.  I am also missing my dad, as it is Father’s Day!  Happy Father’s Dad, Dado.  You are incredible, and I am so thankful to God that He made me your daughter.  You have raised me practically on your own, and you deserve to be publically affirmed for that feat. I love you more than you know, and I appreciate your love and support in all things I do.  I wish you were here with me today.  Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Fathers play such an important role in the development of their children, sometimes that is so overlooked.  So thank you.  We had church here on the lawn complete with performances by the children and another sermon by yours truly.  After church, we finished off the chapatti flour, and then I helped Ruth, Moreen, and Brian remove the beans from their pods.  As is standard for every Sunday night, the children go around talking about what they learned in church. Ruth had memorized John 3:16 IN ENGLISH and recited it for the whole family.  I teared up.  I am so proud of this young woman.  She is so eager to learn, and it breaks my heart that she hasn’t had the opportunity to finish primary school... yet. 

Monday: I woke up still pretty sick.  The sinus bug has gotten worse, so working at St. Agnes was really hard because I was very drowsy.  I announced it would be my second to last time volunteering with them, so Barnabas (the Head Teacher) asked if I would talk to the director of the school.  She and I sat together and chatted for awhile, but I didn’t really have much time.  When I arrived back at the house I was exhausted.  I ate lunch, and then went into the girls’ room and they were resting, so I rested with them. We had our Bible study, and then Ruth and I took a nap (a real one).  For those of you who know me, it is VERY unusual that I am able to take a nap, so as you can imagine I was really tired.  I woke up feeling still very sick and drowsy.  Before I told David and Esther, Shivan crawled into my lap and just rested her head on my shoulder.  I began to tear up again… what am I going to do when a little girl doesn’t come with arms open wanted to be held?  The reality of leaving has finally started to hit (as I have one week left in this house). Esther and David, along with Joseph, took me to town and treated me to oranges, apples, garlic, organic-made in Uganda honey, chapatti, and popcorn as a snack.  I am so humbled by their generosity.   We were in the middle of the bustling town when I began to cry again.  When we got home, Joseph mixed boiled water, crushed oranges, and raw garlic into a tea-like substance.  It was strong, but it definitely improved my health. I was so thankful for their support.

Tuesday: I woke up feeling much better.  I am still not 100%, but I hope to be by tomorrow for my last day at the school.  Today I took Kakuru out into town to hang out with her one on one.  I asked her if she wanted soda, she said, “No.” I asked her if she wanted juice, she said, “Yes.” “What kind? Splash?” “No.” “Ribena (black current juice-my favorite when I’m here)?” “No” “What then?” “Safi.” So we went around looking for Safi, and finally found some.  We got popcorn, and then sat down in a shop after I purchased Ribena for myself.  I asked her, “Do you want chocolate?” and typically the answer to this question is always, “YES!!!” but she said, “No.” Ha! I was delighted by her honesty.  I asked, “What do you want?” She responded, “Cake.”  So, I got some cake.  Kakuru speaks very little English, but touch goes a far way.  We walked through town hand in hand, mostly silent.  Every once in a while she would say a phrase in English that she had likely spent the last five silent minutes forming.  One of them was, “Auntie, thank you for buying anything. God bless you.”  It was so sweet.  Later in the day, Joseph taught the ladies some English, explaining the difference between “I, we, they, you...” When the kids got home and changed into their house attire, Davin casually asked me, “Do you know China?” I said, “I know it’s a country, but I have never been there.”  He said, “They make everything!” Kids say the funniest things. To kick my cold to the curb, David and Esther took me to Enciche and bought me a bunch of fruits and vegetables that soon turned into a lovely salad made by Esther.  I drove the car back, which was quite an experience.  I have never driven a car with the steering wheel on the right side.  It was a trip.

Wednesday: Today was my last day in the school.  I traded information with a lot of the teachers, and got a lot of great feedback and encouragement from my time there.  They held an impromptu assembly before lunch to send me off.  The kids performed, and I prayed for their futures and the school. It was a nice way to say goodbye. The ladies and I studied John 5, and then I spent some time playing the guitar. The afternoon has been pretty low-key.  I am REALLY excited to see Danelle tomorrow.

Hanging out with David and Esther’s seven month old son everyday is pretty great… except I am his favorite to “susu” (pee) on. 

Upcoming:

Thursday: Joseph, David, and I are going to Kampala/Entebbe to pick DANELLE up from the airport!! I am so excited for her coming. 

June 28-July2nd: RWANDA!

July 3^rd or 4^th-6^th: New Hope Institute

July 6^th or 7^th-12^th: Come Let’s Dance to see friends and visit the Kids’ House.

July 12^th-13^th: Traveling home. It seems too soon…

Connected

I am going to tell you about a few of my days, and then I will talk about what they mean to me.

Tuesday: Today I went to the school and graded for teachers.  It was mostly uneventful, but I enjoyed it.  When I got home, I ate lunch, and then found out we had no water in the jerry cans (which is a normal occurrence, because we haven’t had running water since day one, except for one afternoon for a couple of hours).  Today I had to wash my clothes, desperately.   I had been putting it off for days, because of the lack of water.  I thought that maybe the water would miraculously arrive when I needed it most.  When it didn’t, Ruth, Kakuru, and I went to the well to fetch water for washing my clothes.  When we arrived back, Ruth helped me wash my clothes, and after quite some time they were drying on the line.

Wednesday: I went to St. Agnes again this morning.  In the Baby Class I taught the kids how to color in a flower.  (They learn how to do this every day, because they’re 3 or 4 years old, so I wasn’t really doing anything new or exciting for them.)  After break, I went to the Primary 4 class, as normal.  When I arrived Teacher Liberty told me that I would be teaching the lesson today.  It’s quite standard for people here to tell me last minute that I will be speaking publically.  So, I have gotten used to being put on the spot, however I was still nervous.  I had 50+ students looking at me waiting to hear about the Lowest Common Multiple in order to compare fractions.  It has been awhile since I studied these things, so thankfully Liberty had a lesson plan prepared, and I taught off of his notes.  After school, the ladies of the house and I did a study on John chapter 2.  Once that was over, David asked me to accompany Joseph, Conrad, Ruth, and Moreen to the garden to harvest beans.  I was reluctant.  I have done the farm thing when I worked with CLD, and it definitely wasn’t my favorite thing to do.  But, I went anyways.  It ended up being really fun, because while I was there I asked Ruth to retell John 2, and she didn’t leave out a single detail! 

Thursday: Today David and I went to Bushenyi, which is a neighboring district of Mbarara.  It took about an hour and half to get to the village because there was a lot of road construction.  Our destination was about a 20 minute drive off the main road.   It was so peaceful in Bushenyi, there were banana plantations everywhere I looked, pineapple plants, sunflowers, sugar cane, coffee plants, and much more.  We pulled up to the church and school that Elijah (a Ugandan board member of JOAC) and Jane (his wife) have started.  As I looked beyond the school there were hills and valleys in every direction.  It was still morning when we arrived, so the cool breeze blew on my face as I looked at the beautiful scenery.  Breakfast was ready for us.  It consisted of scrambled eggs, bread, and the BEST chai tea I have!   After breakfast we got a tour of the school.  I ended up teaching the Primary 1 class for awhile.  I taught English greetings, numbers, and we practiced the alphabet.  This school is nothing like St. Agnes, or anything in the states.  There were two fortresses, one of which was split down the middle to host two P.1 classes, and the other was split in quarters for the P.1-P.4 classes.  There is little funding for this school, but it was great to see the passion the teachers had for these kids to learn. After visiting with Elijah, Jane, and their family, I was given a live chicken as a parting gift.  We stuffed our vehicle with matoke, potatoes, bananas, sugar cane, and this chicken.  I couldn’t imagine killing it and eating it for dinner… what I couldn’t imagine happened.

Friday: I woke up to the chicken’s cock-a-doodle-do.  This made my heart for its life fade away, and I began to grow bitter towards the chicken.  It was going to be killed either way, today, but thankfully I didn’t mind too much.  Watching the scene definitely wasn’t my favorite part of being here, but it comes with the territory.  When I woke up, I went for a run, and got ready to go into town to take Moreen out on a date!  We got some snacks and walked around in Mbarara town.  It is important for me to take each of the girls on a one on one adventure before I leave.  Moreen really enjoyed it, and so did I.  When we got back, we ate lunch, and watched Conrad kill the chicken-something I hope one day to forget.  After that David, Joseph, and I watched sermon called “How Great is Our God” (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1849169).  It was so powerful! Then the ladies and I studied John 3.  We memorized John 3:16 together, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  This verse is the main theme of this chapter, and it was exciting to watch the girls grasp this concept.  It is not by the good works that we do, but by believing in what Christ has already done.  We ate the chicken for dinner.  Having meat at dinner time is very rare because food prices in Uganda have gone up, so all the kids thanked me for the chicken… even though I had very little to do with the gift.  In the evening, like most Friday nights, David, Esther, and I went to see Joseph perform in a Jazz band.  I asked if Emmanuel (Emmy) could come with us.  He really enjoyed the night out; aye, I love when these kids smile.  It melts my heart.

Now, here comes in the connected part.  I want to pick out three stories, and share about how I have connected with them. First, I fetched water for a need.  I never have to do this in the states.  Water is readily accessible.  Yes, this wasn’t the first time that I went to fetch water since I have been here, but it definitely the first time I have HAD to.  As an American that lives comfortably, I never feel connected to water.  I can always turn the faucet and water will always pour out (with the hot/cold option).  I have to admit, it was frustrating having to fetch water to wash my clothes.  It was no longer a choice for me, but it was mandatory.  I began to think of the things I think I NEED in the states.  I survived fetching water; though I did fall in the mud little bit, because I am still klutzy in Uganda.  I don’t NEED my faucet to spring forth water for me at every moment in the day.  I will survive.  I don’t NEED a washing machine… I am not saying that I would like to live without those things forever, but they’re definitely not NEEDS. Of course, a water source is a need, but it doesn’t have to be in every room in a house.  Secondly, I was connected to the beans I ate for dinner this week.  I went to the garden and helped harvest them.  My job was to remove the pods from the stems and put them in the bag to bring home.  So often I have no idea where the foods I eat come from.  But this week I have experienced the knowing and retrieving.  While in Bushenyi, Hannah (one of Jane and Elijah’s daughters) grabbed pineapple from the pineapple plant, cut it up, and served it to us.  I knew where it came from, and I ate it moments after being removed from the plant.  How often do we experience this type of consumption?  It is really hard to live like this in the states, but I will commend anyone who tries to only eat food in which they know the sourcef-it’s nearly impossible.  The third thing was the chicken.  I don’t eat meat all too often because I love vegetables, but I am definitely not opposed to meat-eating.  I was given a live chicken as a gift.  This has never happened to me in the states.  I had no clue what to do with the bired, and frankly I was terrified of it.  I watched, from a distance, the process from receiving the chicken, bringing it home, killing it, plucking its feathers, cutting and cleaning it, and cooking it.  Especially when I am at school, and eat from the school cafeteria, I rarely see how things are prepared.  I felt totally ignorant, because I didn’t know how to prepare a chicken from start to finish.

It’s hard to live connected in a society that is so disconnected due to the “necessity” to save time.  Since I have been here, I have learned to appreciate the moments for what they are, slow down, and be less concerned with the amount I have or have not accomplished.  Life’s not about me anyways, right?  Let us live connected to the people we love, the places we love, the food we love, the things we love, and most importantly the God we love.  If we do, we will learn to love and appreciate them even more than we thought possible.

Another plug for the JOAC blog: JOACuganda.blogspot.com

I Love My Life

So much has happened since I last wrote.

Every week we have “family court” which is a safe place for everyone to share about how their brother, sister, auntie, or uncle has offended them.  Then afterwards everyone asks for forgiveness and the relationships are mended.  A lot of funny complaints happen at this time, though it goes on for far too long it always brings a smile to my face.  One of the complaints was that “Joshua peed on a tree outside, and since then the tree has not brought forth fruit.” HAHAHA!! Gosh, these kids make me laugh.  Of course, just as in every family there are serious complaints, but everyone forgives with graciousness.

June 9^th was another public holiday here in Uganda called Hero’s Day. It is very similar to Memorial Day in the US.  I love public holidays because the kids get to stay home and hang out with me! We ate breakfast and went for a family run.  Esther loves to swim and had the idea to bring the little girls, Afusa and Shivan, out swimming for the first time.  They have never been, and do not how to swim.  It was really fun teaching them how to swim.  (You can see pictures of this on the JOAC blog at JOACuganda.blogspot.com.)  I got a little burnt; I forgot that equator sun is incredibly strong.

The next day I went to the school for the second time.  Before school started the primary classes lined up for assembly.  One of the head teachers gave out awards to St. Agnes’ Heroes in lieu of Hero’s Day.  Some of the students performed and were proud of their achievements.  Once school started I went to Baby class where I helped Teacher Agatha grade and prepare for Monday.  I think she was blessed by the extra set of hands.  After break consisting of sweet yellow bananas and tea, I went to Primary 4 to volunteer (Davin’s class).  The teacher’s name is Silver; he’s really energetic, and he loves his kids.  It was really exciting to see passion from him and from his students for learning.  I also met some other teachers named Naomi and Liberty.  I am very excited to get to know them better. 

That afternoon I had the book study with the girls on truth.  It is so important to know the truth in order to recognize lies.  As women, it’s easy to believe we are undesirable, unwanted, and unloved.  But the TRUTH is we are desirable, wanted, and loved.  THIS truth will set us FREE! That evening, we went to see Joseph perform.  I asked if we could bring some of boys so Brian, Araphat, Joshua, Keith, and little Joseph tagged along.  I bought them soda and enjoyed their smiling faces at the live band.  Keith got up the courage to dance in front of the crowd and earned 2,000 Uganda shillings (a little less than a dollar-but it goes far here).

Saturday morning I woke up, ate breakfast, and went for a run with the kids.  They are really starting to enjoy the exercise.  They play soccer a lot, fetch water, and walk to school… they are definitely not lazy kids, but rather they are extremely fit and strong.  Emmy especially could be a professional runner if he was given the opportunity.  After running, Brian and I went to a nearby town to buy Cassava flour and bananas to make banana pancakes for Sunday evening.  It was a really fun time to be one on one with him.  I asked him about school, and he proceeded to tell me this story:  I (Brian) was in a debate in class about whether or not missionaries in Uganda do harm or do good (interesting topic).  One of my classmates asked, “Name a Bible verse that says missionaries are a good idea.”  So I recited one of the verses I had memorized, and suddenly the class got very shy and the teacher gave me 500 points.  What a great story!! I (Jen) could not have been prouder.  I then asked him if he has friends at school, and he thought I said “Do you have a girlfriend at school?” so he responded, “No, because if I had a girlfriend I wouldn’t be able to focus in school.” HA! Gosh, he’s such a great kid; I literally cannot get enough of these angels.

Matoke is starting to grow on me.  I really thought I would never like it, but Esther has attributed it to the fact I am becoming more and more African. I wish that were true.

In the early afternoon, rain started to POUR!!! It was unlike anything I have seen before.  I just had to go, dance, and run in it.  It was calling my name!  Soon after I went out in the rain, Kakuru joined me, and she was followed by some of the boys.  They were running and sliding in the mud.  Soon after the bliss in the rain the boys started to grab the jerry cans to collect water.  I joined in.  We separated into teams for each side of the house to collect water from the water that was falling off the roof.  I was soaked, we all were soaked, but it was definitely one of the most entertaining moments I have had here.  All working for the cause of water for our family was just a beautiful site, and it was so amazing to be a part of. (The same thing happened Sunday.)

Later Esther begged me to go to an Introduction (which is like an engagement party in the US).  I refused.  I could not let myself be the focus of another couple’s day in the spotlight.  So instead she took Ruth.  Ruth didn’t have a shirt to match her skirt, so I offered her one of my mine.  While she was putting it on I got out my makeup bag (which I believe this moment was the only reason I actually chose to bring it).  I put some blush on her face, eyeliner, eye shadow, and a hint of mascara.  She looked BEAUTIFUL!!!  I believe it was a really special day for her to feel one of a kind and radiant.  She deserves that.  I felt like a mom sending her daughter to prom or something. While Esther and Ruth were gone, Joseph and I started playing games with the kids.  We started with Simon Says, but it turned into a dance competition.  These kids can dance.  I wish we had recorded the whole competition because it was so fun! When Ruth and Esther returned we started the competition over so they could join us.  The people with the most votes went onto the next level.  There were many rounds, but the last round consisted of Davin and I.  He can dance, but I was saving the worm for the last round (if I happened to make it that far).  I won, probably because of pity, but I’ll take the victory. Haha. I really wish someone was there to video tape this event.  We laughed, and we really enjoyed each other as family.

Sunday morning I woke up to the screams and joyous laughter of the kids after pouring water on Esther for her birthday, as is the tradition in Uganda on someone’s birthday.  David asked me to share at this Sunday’s Joy of a Child Children’s Church’s service.  He wanted me to talk about the study I have been doing with the ladies and to summarize it to the best of my ability.  The main theme of the book is that God takes us from ashes and makes us beautiful.  He meets us where we are and makes us new.  Brian shared before I talked about how he used to be a hooligan on the streets, but now he has purpose, a future, and hope because of what God has done to redeem his life.  While I was sharing about beauty from ashes I began to think about him on the streets, and then about the rest of these beautiful souls on the streets and I began to weep.  I cannot imagine these little hopefuls hopeless.  I am so thankful for Joy of a Child for giving them a second chance for a future and education.  They have a roof over their head, food, family, and love.  It is beautiful to be a part of such an incredible organization. 

After church we had lunch and then a meeting with some women from the community and the young ladies of this house.  We finished our study on “Living in the Love with Jesus.”  I am quite sad the book is over, but I am looking forward to the study on the Gospel of John that will commence.  After the ladies left, it rained!  I was so thankful that God held the rain until church was over because this rain was very similar to the day before. I love collecting water in the downpour with the boys.  It’s so fun.  This time David and Joseph joined in the fun.  When the water slowed the boys got out their soccer ball and began to play.  I had the urge to play along with them.  I am not the best at soccer, and these kids are the bomb diggity. But it was fun to be out playing with them nonetheless.

Because Sunday was Esther’s birthday, David took her out for a romantic dinner.  While they were gone Brian, Joseph, and I made banana pancakes.  They tasted really great.  I am going to do my best to find Cassava flour somewhere to make them for my friends and family back home.  Shiba and her son Kamari came over to join us for dinner.  I have really enjoyed getting to know Shiba, and through talking with her Ruth really opened up to me as well. I have been praying and hoping for this day, and I am so thankful that it finally came.  God is so good.  I will not share the stories they told me, but I will say you can be praying for Shiba.  She is going to be living at JOAC for at least the next three months.  The goal is for her to get her own place with her son, but that doesn’t really seem like an option right now.

Later in the evening, David, Esther, and Joseph had two visitors from their Discipleship Training School in YWAM.  It was great to get to know Brenda and Percis, and it was fun watching them all reminisce about their time together. 

Today, Monday, June 13^th was a very good day (I have been having many good days).  Today is Ruth’s birthday.  I woke up early and followed Esther’s lead.  She wanted to get Ruth back for pouring water on her the previous day.  She got a cup of water, and then I followed with more, and then the boys with even more.  She was soaked.  Then I told her, even though it was Monday, I wasn’t going to volunteer at the school but I was going to take her out for a morning in town.  (I will volunteer at the school tomorrow instead.)  After a meeting with the adults, we headed into town.  I bought sodas, popcorn, sweets, and we got her ears pierced.  It was really fun, and she kept on saying, “I am so happy!”  Those words made me so happy. I spent like a total of $5, and she admitted that today was the best birthday she had ever had.  What!?  She said she has NEVER celebrated her birthday before.  I understand that birthdays may not be the biggest deal here, especially in comparison to how much I love birthdays, but still… it broke my heart, but made me thankful that I was a part of a day she will remember forever.   

Today we started studying John.  It went really well, the girls took notes, and seemed like they were really getting the concepts in the first chapter.  I don’t know what’s going to come of this study, but I know that it will help them now to how study the Bible better.

Just now Rona showed up.  This young woman left the house a day or two after I arrived to visit her family.  We really connected in that time, and then she left. She came back today to visit with us and to see me.  I am so blessed by her visit, and I really hope she comes by more often. 

I’ve been away from home over four weeks now. Really? How is this possible? I have four weeks left, and I feel like the time at this house is slipping away. 

New things!

Forgive me for taking a long time to write… my dad reminded me yesterday that it has been awhile.  I spent a lot of time on the computer this weekend working on the biographies of the children and the Ugandan board of Joy of a Child.  So for a few days, the computer repulsed me.  I checked emails briefly, but did not have the patience to sit down and write. 

Saturday: I played with the kids in the morning time.  They had brought their mattresses outside and put them in the shade.  We sat around together, enjoying the Saturday morning.  I love when they’re home!  We danced, sang, and played games.  In the afternoon, Esther took me to Nsikye, a nearby town, for women’s outreach.  We visited some homes, and the women were so welcoming and warm.  I love walking around outside the gates to see what is beyond the compound.  Though I am stared at for the majority of the time, it is nice to get a change of scenery.

Sunday: I love Sundays!  Church here is so encouraging and so fun.  I always feel like a proud “auntie” when I see the kids leading worship, the Sunday school lesson, and sharing time.  They are so adorable.   It warms my heart to watch them mature as leaders in this way.  More and more people are coming to our little church under the sun.  Many of the women that came on Friday were there for the service as well.  After church I spent a lot of timing taking pictures of the kids and the board members for the website.  We were also writing up their biographies as well.  It was a little stressful, but it has mostly come together in the end.  I am looking forward to the end result.  After typing and uploading pictures I walked outside and the boys were dancing in a line.  I joined them! It was so fun J It was nice to be outside, after being inside for far too long.  After playing, the adults and I went on an adventure to find chapati.  We underestimated the time it would take to walk to town and back, so David had to get the car in order for us to get to dinner in time. 

Monday: This morning we sat down and talked about the pending Rwanda trip!  I am getting more and more excited about it as the days go on.  I am very thankful that Danelle will be here by then and that we can go together.  I cannot wait for her arrival.  I have been feeling a little restless in the mornings, so I have decided to volunteer at one of the schools the kids go to.  The head teacher agreed, so I will be working there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  I will work in the “baby class” (3-4yr olds) and then in one of the Primary classes.  After getting a tour of the school, I went back to the house.  I decided to fetch water at the well.  I want to preface this story by saying: YOU CAN LAUGH!  So, I have never experienced water running out in the states (I have experienced it in Uganda before and we haven’t had substantial running water since the first day I got here).  BUT, never have I ever had to “fetch” water, so I thought “the kids do this every day, numerous times, it can’t be that hard.” Yeah, well it was.  The walk down to the well was fine and dandy.  There was a lady on the way down that asked Ruth, “Why are you letting the Muzungu (their word for a white person) fetch water?”  I responded, “Because I want to.”  And she said, “No, you are not supposed to.”  Needless to say, I continued on my way.  We reached the well, filled our jerry cans, and started our trek UP the hill.  I needed to take a lot of breaks, and I even experimented with holding the jerry can on my head.  I looked ridiculous, and instead of encouragement all Ruth and Moreen could do was laugh at me.  It was literally one of the hardest things I have ever done. Later in the day, I had a heart to heart with Esther.  The details will remain private, but I was really encouraged by her and I am really thankful for my friendship in Esther.  Afterwards, Katie called me and it was so nice to hear from home.

Tuesday: Today was pretty uneventful.  I went for a run, played the guitar, and taught English and Math.  After my class with the girls I took out the coloring book and crayons I brought along with me.  The kids love to “shade” in the figures.  It was really fun to watch their creativity come alive.

Wednesday: Today I started volunteering at St. Agnes and I really enjoyed it.  I am excited about my new found friendship in one of the teachers, Agatha.  She’s really sweet, and I am excited to get to know her better.  Before I was about to leave, the teachers announced to the kids, “Tomorrow is a holiday, do not come to school!  We will see you Friday.” I LOVE WHEN UGANDA HAS HOLIDAYS!!! That means the boys get to stay home! Tomorrow is “Hero’s Day” (it’s the same as Memorial Day in the states).   When I got back the house lunch was ready.  Then I helped to wash some clothes before going to the well for the second time.  This time was definitely easier than the first, but it was definitely not a walk in the park.  When we got back it was time for our book study.  God really used it to open Moreen’s heart, and she finally felt comfortable to share her story.  I am so encouraged by what God has done her in life, and I cannot wait to see what the comings weeks will do to free her.  She was sexually abused by her uncle when she was left with him after her parents died.  She ran to the police for help, and the police arranged for her to get some physiological help from a woman.  This lady knew of Esther and her ministry to women with these types of stories, and asked Joy of a Child to help.  Moreen has been staying here ever since.  What a beautiful testimony of the freedom found in Christ.  I told her that God grieves with her, and He is so ready to redeem her life and her story.  I am so proud of her! Then the boys came home from school: they make me smile so big.

JOAC started a blog: joacuganda.blogspot.com check it out! It has some photos J

The Natural Ups and Downs of Life (edited)

I have fallen in love with the kids in this home.  They are incredible.  They have loved me and welcomed me so well.  Maybe you’re getting tired of hearing this? But, it is true.  Talk of me leaving (in 5 more weeks) has started and my heart is breaking.  I start to wonder, “Oh no, I have made these connections and then I am going to have to leave them.”  How am I going to do this? What is going to happen to them when I leave? They have really attached to me, especially the littlest one Afusa.  I begin to wonder if my being here is going to do more harm because I will have to leave. Then a song by Jars of Clay came on called “Show You Love.”  It encouraged me that love is a risk, but a risk worth taking.  It is our joy as people to love each other and one another.  Our deepest sorrows come from loving someone and losing them, but our sorrow is never wasted.  Love true is hard, but it is good.  So I will continue on. (look up the lyrics to that song… it’s really good)

This week loneliness ensued.  We need people, we need community.  I have left my home and community and come to a faraway place.  I have started to feel physically disconnected from my friends, family, and the feeling of being known in a place.  I have gained new friends and family, but I have started to ache a bit for home.  I want to go to Nana’s with Katie D, I want to swim in the O’Dowd’s pool, I want to have coffee dates with my high school friends, I want to stay up late with Marybeth talking about the world, it’s problems, and how we should fix them, I want to go to Chili’s for dinner with my Dad, I want to replay the Saturday Night reunion at the Pahl’s house.  Once my daydreaming stopped I realized well, even though I may want these things today I am here.  And I am very glad I am here, do not get me wrong.  But the reality of being separated from the things I know has hit this week.

Last night we had a time of musical worship.  God reminded me that He is enough.  I do not need to desire any other besides Him.  He wants to bless me and only give me good things.  Though it may be hard to believe sometimes, and His plan is hard to understand, He is always good.  I was comforted by His hand over my life, and a renewed sense of Joy came over me.  This morning I woke up because the boys were singing songs outside my window.  I looked at the clock and it was 7:45am.  I wondered, “Gosh! Why aren’t they on their way to school?” I came out, and Davin informed me it is a national holiday called “Martyr’s Day.” They get the day off! Once I admitted my loneliness to the Lord, He gave me (and them) a holiday to enjoy one another.  I love when I know the boys are learning, but it makes me sad when they are not here during the day.  God wants to extend only blessings on His children.  I woke up with this as a fresh reminder of his morning mercies.  (Martyr's Day is awesome... look that up too)

Today has been incredibly encouraging.  The girls have watched me go for a couple of runs on the compound and asked if they could go on my next run (which happened to be today).  Of course I agreed.  But it was the holiday, so it was not just us.  We had a huge family run! It was so funny.  Everyone ran.  I loved it! I was able to talk to Orion today as well, because it is his birthday, and it was SO good to hear a familiar voice from home.  After that I cleaned up and did gymnastics with the boys.  We were doing flip flops, round offs, cartwheels, and I was showing off my coolest tricks (the worm and the human jump rope).  They were amazed, but I was impressed by their tricks, because they are much better than mine-believe me.  After lunch, we made some plans to go to Rwanda, Bushenyi, and to New Hope Uganda.  I really hope these things happen (especially Rwanda).  Later Esther went into the town and picked up some women for our book study.  It was incredible.  I presented the Gospel of Grace and about 15 women accepted Jesus as their Romancer and Savior.  It was a powerful time, and I am so humbled that God has used me, and will continue to use me. Me? Even now it’s hard to believe.

Tonight we went to watch Joseph perform with some guys in town.  IT was a nice change of pace, and I really enjoyed hanging out with the adults.  I really enjoyed getting to know them outside of the ministry, laughing together, and enjoying each other and the company.  Once we got back, the children were waiting to eat dinner with us.  It was a lovely fish feast that Esther made; I have to admit I was a little scared of the fish because they still had heads and fins.  But, much to my surprise it was very good!  Then we headed into a time of worship and God has just been continuing to remind me of his goodness and grace.  We sang "Your grace is enough" over and over again-solidifying what I have been learning lately.

In conclusion, I choose to welcome life’s ups and downs, because like Ecclesiastes 7 says “both are from God.”  I know He will use those times to bring me closer and more reliant on Him.