Week 21 + 22

Hello everyone!

It’s been a really good two weeks.

Each day, my Ugandan workmate, Sarah, and I have a morning devotional and prayer time. We then sit outside, drinking tea and talking for a little while. This week has been full of great conversations. We talk about our lives, pasts, hopes, fears, and dreams. We seem to have grown closer this week than ever before. Today we sat and helped some ladies sort and separate wild mushrooms they’d harvested. While we sorted, they told me old stories. I heard about the fields where wild vegetables grow (“God is the farmer,” they say) and people come and take whatever they need, the villages far away where they say it rains blood as a sign of coming war, and stories of an evil President called Amin. Amin was a dictator in the 1970’s. He was a terrible man who would order Indians to vacate their shops, keep Ugandans from building new homes, and throw the lame into the Nile. He was responsible for thousands of deaths, both Africans and those of other nationalities. I saw the film about this man (entitled, “The Last King of Scotland”) and it’s always so interesting to hear stories from people who actually witnessed it, people who lived the history that we view in entertainment now. (Ps. I later got to eat those mushrooms in a soup. It was amazing)

Bible club this week went extremely well! We studied the story of Moses. The scripture to memorize this week was Exodus 14:14.

“Be still. The Lord will fight for you.”

I’m so loving seeing their minds and hearts absorb the Word. My mom always had us memorize Bible verses as I was growing up. Even now, these verses come to my mind at the oddest of times. When you hide His Word in your heart, that’s exactly what it is: hidden. You don’t always know that you remember it. If someone asked me to recite a few Bible verses, I probably would have little to say. But then, in times that are seemingly random,  it makes its appearance at the forefront of your heart. The knowledge of His Word, the unshakable truth that is written on your heart, shows up and it is glorious. I’m loving watching these kids learn- they are laying foundations of a strong faith and they don’t even know it!

I hung out with a six year old missionary friend yesterday. We watched The Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, played fashion show and shoe store, and painted with watercolors. It was so great to get to know her better and just have fun. She’s a hilarious and  intelligent little girl, with enough spunk for ten kids. I adore her.

Happy birthday, America! No fireworks this year, but there are amazing stars that I just may glimpse from my hammock after I get home from the community barbecue tonight.

We are implementing a new tutoring plan and new Bible study this week. Please keep us and our kids in your prayers as we start a new and exciting challenge!

Em

Week 19 + 20

Hello friends!

My baby sister has come and gone. It was so lovely to spend time with her and have her experience my life here. I’m going to miss her so, but I hold on to the time we had together as a most precious memory. Here are some highlights from the past two weeks!

We helped out one day with the distribution of the monthly supplies. Each month, our IChooseYou families receive soap, flour, sugar and Vaseline. I sat with the book of names and each parent signed the book to receive their supplies. Those who cannot write their names, sign with a fingerprint. The flour they receive comes in massive bags, and the ladies carry the bags and weigh out the individual portions. They are such bosses.

We spent some time in Namatala (the slum outside of Mbale), loving on the kids and worshiping with them. Bosco, the boy in the orange shirt, absolutely loved Bailey.

One day, we did a “small wounds clinic” in Namatala, which basically consists of cleaning cuts and slapping band aids on kiddos. We set up in the market. We had few coming to us, so we decided to go to them! We came across several people with various infections on their feet. Bailey was an absolute stud. She cleaned nasty feet without flinching, with utmost gentleness. I guess it’s because of Jesus’ example washing the disciples’ feet, but I find something undeniably holy about cleaning someone’s dirty feet. It requires humility like nothing else. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

On a Sunday after church, we held our annual IChooseYou family day. We provided lunch for the families and then had the delightful task of handing out to each child: a brand new backpack, an IChooseYou t-shirt, and a photograph of their sponsor. Each child had an individual photo taken, then we gathered together for a group photo. What a good looking bunch!

One of our families (they have four children in IChooseYou, including our only university student) moved to a new home, so we gathered there for a house warming party. We ate snacks, listened to wonderful music (provided by Esther, the best ten year old guitar player in the whole world), and told stories.

We made the journey to Kampala to drop our wonderful little team at the airport. Taking advantaged of being in the big city, I got my hair cut and bought a new painting, both bringing me tremendous joy.

We’re back in Mbale now; Callie, Katelyn (the newest addition to our home and IChooseYou team), and I. Katelyn is a beautiful and wonderful person and I’m so happy she’s here for the next five months.

Guess what, friends! I have reached the midway point in my Ugandan journey! I’m halfway through my time here, a fact which I find both delightful and dreadful; delightful because I have wonderful and exciting things ahead when I go back to the States (not to mention the people I get to see), and dreadful because I love it here and the thought of leaving the people I love and the life I've built makes me a little weepy. I feel like I just got here and like I've been here forever, all at the same time. What a strange feeling it is, to feel like you so wholly and completely belong to two separate, entirely opposite places on earth.  I’m looking forward to things ahead, but I’m also very committed to living in the present, something I've always found a bit challenging. I’m a planner, you see. I love to think ahead, to dream, to plan. But, sometimes, that gets in the way of really living. If you are so concentrated on the future, you’ll miss the now. Things are happening, God is moving, and we can’t afford to miss it! I love prophecy, how God reveals glimpses of what is to come to His children. It’s beautiful, and it grows my faith every time I see a dream or a word fulfilled. But there is so much happening right now, in front of my very eyes. People are hungry for God’s word, children are growing up knowing nothing but the Father’s faithfulness, and we are in a time of bold obedience. I don’t want to miss what God is doing in the present. Do you?

Thanks for reading!

Em 

Week 18

Hello everyone!

It's been a busy week with our team from Texas! It's been so great to have my baby sister here. I've missed her sweet smile and crazy sense of humor. It's been great to show her my life here though, honestly, it's a bit strange to have my American life and Ugandan life mixing! Bailey has now met my friends and seen: my home, the school where I work, the church I attend, the store where I buy Pringles, and the coffee shop where I spend most of my free time. It's fun to have her experience these things alongside me. We hold on to our time on the mission field in New Zealand by recalling memories together, both good and bad, and now we'll be able to do the same with Uganda. When time has passed and I'm back in America (or wherever I'll live in the future) I'll be able to say, "Remember that place in Namatala?" or "Remember my dog Rocky?" and she'll be able to say yes! Mbale, Uganda is now a part of her and we'll both always have a bit of this place in our hearts.

 The team had not been here two days before we all had quite the African experience: a traditional Ugandan introduction and wedding ceremony. We began the 12 hour celebration by dressing in our introduction attire: a traditional African dress called a gomas. A gomas is usually made with six meters of fabric. It goes on like a bathrobe, then takes a great measure of folding and tying to get it all in place. A wretchedly gaudy belt is tied around your waist. The shoulders are pointy and I genuinely feared poking someone's eye out. BUT OH! I've forgotten the best part: underneath your dress goes a "bum blanket". Pretty much all it is is a blanket that you tie around your waist and fold over so that you appear to have a, well, larger rear end. My my, how Africa and America differ.

The introduction takes place at the home of the bride's parents. I, along with my friends Callie and Natalie, participated in the introduction as a "fake bride". We danced out in front of everyone and then knelt on a mat before the groom. He declared that we are not what he is looking for (the nerve) and sent us on our way with a parting gift. Since we had "spent too much time in the sun" and that's why our skin turned from black to white, we were given umbrellas to shield us from the sun. Someone needs to give that guy a lesson in Tanning 101, but whatever, I got an umbrella. After lots and lots of music and ceremony, the bride eventually comes out and the groom claims her. Dowry is exchanged and gifts are presented. With all of this done outside in the merciless Ugandan sun, it was a really long morning.

Everyone changed clothes and headed to the church for the wedding ceremony. Thankfully, an American dress would do for this part of the day. There was a lot of singing and happy yelling. Like anything in Africa, it was long, long, long. After the ceremony, we went to the reception at a hotel. It was absolutely beautiful. The bride made her fourth garment change of the day and my gosh, was she breathtaking. Overall, it was a really cool experience. Though, for the sake of all who had to see me in a gomas, I hope it isn't something I experience again for some time.

We took a trip to Karamoja, the place where most of our IChooseYou families are from. It was absolutely beautiful- National Geographic Africa. The huts had perfect straw roofs and the mountains were breathtaking. The villages were so clean and as one mzungu described, "pure", untainted by the modern world. We took three of our kids, a little boy and a brother-sister pair, to visit their home villages where their sick mothers reside. We found the mother of the young boy quite sick. It was absolutely heart breaking to see this woman so ill and weak and to see her small son weep, so hurting to see her in that condition. When we took the two teenagers to see their mother, we found out that she had already died.

These things always provoke a lot of questions from me. Mainly,

"What the heck, God?"

Why do some live in such poverty? Why do some not have enough the eat? Why do some experience such grief at such a tender age? He uses these moments to teach me a lot. The feeling of hopelessness is suffocating and if I don't work it out with Him, I wouldn't last five minutes in this country. I am not for one second going to act like I have this figured out because I most certainly do not. I've found that the first thing I have to do is be honest about how I'm feeling, with another person as well as with the Father. I didn't used to talk to Him about this kind of stuff, but then I realized: I'm not going to offend Him by being real with Him. And he already knows what I'm feeling anyway. He's okay with a "What the heck, God?" every now and again. It's okay to talk to Him about what I'm feeling. He can handle my questions, my confusion, and my tears. After all, we're friends.

On another note, I'm currently obsessed with the song, "Wake Up" by All Sons & Daughters. Seriously, have you heard this song? So great.

Thanks for reading! Love y'all.

Em

Week 15 + 16 + 17

My name is Emily, and I'm the worst blogger ever.

Here are some photos from the past three weeks! 

I let a four year old paint my face. SO fun. 

Got care packages from home! 

Within one of my care packages from home was this pair of glasses. My friends convinced this guy from the coffee shop to try them on. He's such a good sport. 

I'm so glad to be back at the school after the holidays- I missed this girl so much! 

Photo shoot with friends

Can you say, "Rapunzel"? 

Ivan. Love this kid. 

Stargazing with friends. 

These guys are all heading back to their homelands over the next couple of weeks. I'm enjoying the last moments I have with them- what a blessing they've been to me. 

Thanks, Jesus. 

Evening in Namatala with these awesome kids! 

Caught a baby frog! 

GUESS WHAT WORLD: my seester is here! 

Em 

Week 14

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16. Arguably the most well known scripture in the Bible.

I was preparing a lesson for my P-6/P-7 kids over John 3:1-21, the story of Nicodemus. I've read this story before and I've known John 3:16 by heart since I was a small child, but I never put together that Jesus spoke these famous words to Nicodemus.

Nicodemus. One guy. One very confused guy. Who came to Jesus in secret. In the middle of the night. In the dark. What?

Doesn't it seem that the most important words in the Bible, the most famous, the sum of the Gospel, should have been spoken to someone really important? Or perhaps a multitude of people? Shouldn't it be recorded when Jesus was standing on some hilltop, speaking to thousands?

Nope. Jesus chose to sum it all up to one man. In secret. In the dark. Why were they in the dark? Because Nicodemus was afraid.

Jesus tells him about what it means to be born again, gives revelation of the Holy Spirit, and the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I started to think: if Jesus spoke to Nicodemus of such important things, one man in the strangest of settings, is He possibly revealing things to you, in your fear, in the darkness, that are of great importance? Things that could rock your world, things that need to be shared, things that the world needs to know?

Em

Week 13

Hello everyone!

Another week of my kiddos out of school means another week of tagging along with other ministries. I attempted to do some tutoring and Bible study with my kids this week, but it never seemed to work out. I guess that's just how it goes with school holidays. I'll catch up with them when they're back in school in two weeks. :)

I went with some friends to a Bible club in town. They had a team in town from the States. The team was doing some teaching on listening to God and praying for healing in a way that young kids can understand. They explained to the children all of the different ways that God speaks to us, putting special emphasis on the fact that no way of hearing from God is better than any other way. They gave the children an opportunity to listen to God for an encouraging word for their neighbor. I partnered up with a little boy named Joseph. God gave me a picture of Joseph as a cornstalk in a field. He was growing up rapidly, surpassing all of the plants around him, reaching up into Heaven. God showed me that Joseph is going to grow strong in the Lord, in knowledge and understanding. After God gave me this picture, my mind began to wander and I started thinking about a friend in America that I miss very much. When the listening time was over, I told Joseph about the picture God gave me of him. I asked him if God told him anything for me. At first he shook his head no. Then he said, "God told me to tell you that He loves your friend very much." Wow! It was awesome. The team then taught the kids about praying for healing. They shared a story from the Bible then taught the kids about basic steps to use to pray for people. The kids then practiced by praying for one another. It was an awesome day of learning- I absolutely loved it!

A friend of mine works for a local children's home and invited some of us out to the home for a day of fishing with their kids. We split the kids into two groups and went in shifts. We started by collecting grasshoppers in a nearby field to use as bait. The kids found poles on the way down to the river. We helped them tie string and a hook on the end, along with a small piece of cut up flip flop to float like a bobber. Baiting the hook with a grasshopper was probably my favorite part. I think the final count of fish caught by the group was something like six. I didn't catch any fish, but I did catch ten grasshoppers and of that fact I am quite proud.

This week was my lovely roommate's twenty-fifth birthday. Happy birthday, Callie! Here are twenty-five of my favorite things about her:

• She always has good advice.
• She’s always ready to have fun.
• She isn't afraid to make fun of herself.
• She loves the kids in her care with a fierce love.
• Self sacrifice is second nature to her.
• She loves people.
• She makes me laugh.
• She makes me food.
• She always knows when something is wrong. Always.
• She never shames people.
• She always smells good.
• She loves people.
• She watches New Girl with me.
• She always tells me I’m pretty even when I am really, really not.
• She encourages me.
• She loves people.
• She gives the best hugs.
• She laughs at my jokes.
• She loves people. Like, she seriously loves everyone.
• She’s honest.
• She wants everyone to feel comfortable.
• She tans really well.
• She speaks life into people.
• She smiles all the time.
• She loves people.

I really couldn't ask for a better roommate, workmate, and friend. You’re the best, Callie dear.

Em

Week 11 + 12

Hello Friends!

I forgot to blog last week. Oops. So here's a double dose of my life this week:

My friend Katie made this amazing video to reflect my last three months in Uganda. It's so cool that Katie is able to use her gifts to bless others. She blesses me on a daily basis. Check out this video- it's for you!

http://vimeo.com/92328677#at=0

Easter week with my community of friends was fun and meaningful. On Tuesday I attended a Seder dinner, hosted by some friends. The Seder dinner is a part of the Passover celebration. As believers in Jesus as the Messiah, we celebrate the Seder dinner in recognition of what Jesus did and revealed at his last Passover, before giving himself over as a sacrifice for us. It was a really cool time of learning and reflection. A few days later I watched the film The Passion of the Christ with the same group. It was so cool to watch the scenes of Jesus with His disciples at the last supper, understanding the meaning and significance with each tradition fulfilled, each word spoken. The Jews celebrate their deliverance from slavery, waiting in anticipation for their Messiah to come. As believers, we know that the Rescuer has already come, delivering us from the slavery of sin. On Easter Sunday we had a large barbecue after church, complete with good food, an egg hunt for the kids, and a little tossing around of the volleyball. After that, I had a time of worship and prayer with four other girls my age. It was a really special time. All in all, a wonderful Easter.

My kids were busy with exams last week and are now on their school holidays. Since I wasn't with my kids at the school this week, I tagged along with others to see their work in Mbale. I went with Callie to check out her work with the moms. They meet each day to work on jewelry and other things to sell to create an income for themselves. I made a sweet little friend name Marian, and one of the moms showed me how to roll paper beads. Turns out, I'm not very good at it. 

I went with some friends who volunteer for an organization called Jenga to a project they help out with a couple of times a week called CRO (Child Restoration Outreach). One morning a week is spent simply playing with street kids; kicking around a soccer ball, playing games, and messing about on the playground. Another day each week they join the kids for a time of worship. I had so much fun loving on these kids in the simplest ways. It's easy to love God's children when you ask Him to give you eyes to see them the way He sees them. You take one look at them and your heart swells up with so much compassion that you can't help but scoop them up and hold them to you as if you'll never let go. As I ask God for more compassion for His kids, I'm beginning to see them as if they were like my little brothers and sisters back home. Because really, when you think about it, if God is all our dad, then these munchkins that surround me really are my little brothers and sisters. And good gracious, do I love them. 

We've continued to have worship nights at our house each week and they've been going wonderfully. This week we sang a few songs (led on guitar by my lovely friend, Bex), heard a quick word from my friend Katie, and then practiced listening to God. We were each given a number that corresponded to a person in the room. We prayed and asked God to give us a word of encouragement for that person, not knowing who they are. It can be a sentence, a scripture, or even a picture that God wants to us to relay to one another. Each person wrote down what God spoke to them, then gave it to their person when the names were revealed. It was a really great time of prayer and encouragement.

Joe and Bex, our awesome band 

To finish off the week, some friends held a Batman marathon at their house. If you know me very well at all, you'll know that nothing in the world could possibly make me happier.

Em