Week 8

Hello Friends!

Some memorable moments from this week:

I took one of our IChooseYou kiddos to the dentist to have a tooth pulled. This sweet eleven year old was such a champ- no tears at all! She had to keep gauze in her mouth for some time, so I took her back to my house for a little bit before heading back to school. We watched the Lion King and ate banana bread. It was lovely. (Note: The Lion King becomes 100 x funnier if you watch it in Africa. Something about the fact that I've actually seen warthogs chillin' on the side of the road in Kenya just makes every one of Pumba's lines better)

A team from Bethel School in Redding, California was in Mbale this week. (If you're unfamiliar with Bethel, I'd encourage you to check them out online) They held a time of worship and ministering for the missionaries in the area- what a special time it was! It was so refreshing to receive prophecy and encouragement from a group of people who love Jesus so much. God desires so much to reveal His love for us- His complete, boundless, crazy, unconditional love. It never fails to amaze me how individually He speaks to us. He created each one of us with different ways of hearing Him and different ways of giving and receiving love. He knows every inch of our hearts; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And He stills wants us! I love that He doesn't just see me as another face in a crowd, but as a completely unique individual. He knows every single part of me because He made me. And when He shows me how well He knows me....well, it's the best thing ever.

I received not one, but TWO packages of gifts from America this week! A great, big thank you to my mama and my dear friend, Lori Long. You guys are the best!

I went with Callie to visit the IChooseYou Moms Club. These ladies create beautiful jewelry and other things to create income for their families. My friend Katie took a few pictures of me and a sweet little girl named Ana modeling some of their pieces. Here are a few of my favorites:

Catch ya later, alligators! 

Em 

Week 7

Hello friends and family!

It's hard to believe I've been here for nearly two months! Half of me feels like I just got here and the other half feels like I've been here forever.

Bible study with the P-6 and P-7 kids went great again this week. We continued through the book of John. We read the passage all together once, then I read it a second time. One of the boys had several questions, some of them regarding things we had talked about the previous week. Two of the kids, a P-7 boy and P-7 girl took charge and nearly word for word repeated to him everything I said last week. And it dawned on me: they are really listening to every word I'm saying. The kids proceeded to bring other scripture to this boy's attention (Scripture I had no hand in teaching them) to back up what they were saying. It was amazing to see the excitement in their faces as they explained to their friend the truth that they fully know and believe. They are so hungry for the Word, and absorbing it like sponges.

I don't know why it took me so long, but I have discovered a couple of truly wonderful Indian restaurants in town. I went to one by myself and visited the other with a group of friends. (That was a fun night. The US, Britain, Germany, and Holland were all represented in a night filled with Indian food, laughter, and a viewing of Nacho Libre. I forget how great that movie is. "Did you not tell him that they were the Lord's chips?") I am truly in love with Indian food and I will not be surprised with myself if I start eating it at least once a week.

Every day I take a boda (motorcycle taxi) to the school where I work. There are always many bodas near my house, but I've come to favor a driver named Ali. He takes me to the school most days, and we talk a little bit during the fifteen minute drive. The first time I met Ali, he told me that he knew I was a Christian because I dressed appropriately, not like the Peace Corp girls. Hahaha. Anyway, this week, I asked him about his faith (I assumed by his name that he was a Muslim, and I was right). He told me that his faith was not really something he chose, but rather the way he was raised, so that's the way it was going to be for the rest of his life. I worked up the nerve to ask him what he thought about Jesus. He told me what he knew about Jesus, basically the first several chapters of Matthew. He told me that he was curious about Jesus and wanted to know more about the Bible. "Do you think I could ask you questions about the Bible some time?" he asked. I exploded with joy. I told him that he could ask me questions on our drives and that we could hang out with some of my missionary friends to talk about Jesus. I'm so excited!

On Saturday, I took one of the IChooseYou girls to lunch to get to know her better. We chatted over burgers, then went to the local swimming pool. It was loads of fun and we are making plans to hang out again next week!

I got the opportunity for a quick Skype call with some people from Greenhouse, the discipleship school I participated in last year. It was so great to see their sweet faces and give them a quick update on what's been going on here. Greenhouse was such a great experience for me and I am becoming more and more aware of how much I learned from the teachers. From basic evangelism to discipleship to relating to and understanding the needs of the people you work with, so much of what I need to know on a daily basis was taught to me in Greenhouse. It was wonderful to see them and be encouraged.

Also, I killed a spider with my bare hand.

Until next time!

Em

Week 6

Hey y'all!

It's been a busy and fun week!

We had the first P6 and P7 (5th and 6th grade) Bible study during lunch on Tuesday. I decided to start in the book of John. We read through John 1:1-18 twice, then I asked them to share a verse that they thought was interesting, or ask a question about something they didn't understand. And oh, boy, the questions certainly came. They started with questions relating to the passage and then went on from there. Here are just a few of them:

~What does it mean, "the Word became flesh"?
~What does it mean to be children of God?
~How did John know he was meant to testify?
~If John was testifying about Jesus, why did they kill him?
~How did they kill John?
~What did they do with John's body?
~How did Mary become pregnant?

Normally, I would have been terrified to try to answer these questions, but as I've come to learn more about the Father's heart, I know He is gracious. I'm sure I didn't answer some (if any) of these questions perfectly, but I know that God's grace covers me. That is a really fantastic and freeing thing to know. Please be in prayer for this amazing group of kids. I have a feeling there is going to be some serious growth this year!

We had our second Bible Club this week with the P1-P5 (K-4th grade) kids. It is so much fun! They're doing really well memorizing Scripture, and they're getting better at listening throughout the story. Have you ever read the Jesus StoryBook Bible? It's absolutely wonderful, for kids as well as adults. The point of this Bible is to take every story and emphasize where the story points directly to the coming Messiah. The story of Adam and Eve leaving the garden ends with the promise from God, the promise that He will send a great Rescuer to make everything right again. There is something really wonderful about reading the Bible in a way that children understand. If we really are to have faith like a child, then isn't it great to sometimes go back to the simplicity of God's Story? God loved us, He made us, we messed it up, He sent the Rescuer, and now He's got us back! WHOO! Isn't that great?!

I bought this awesome skirt for $4! Forgive my red skin; I forgot to bring sunscreen to the pool today. No one tell my grandmother.

I'm loving getting to know Sarah in the IChooseYou office. Here we are, looking like nice, normal girls...

...but we are actually nuts.

I got to experience one of the most ridiculous, hilarious, and wonderful things I've ever seen. I was walking past a group of kids in Namatala and stopped to watch them harvesting white ants. They do this by placing a plastic bag with a small hole in the middle over a small hole in the ground. The make this fantastically strange calling sound into the hole, which brings up the white ants. They put their hand under the bag to catch the ants before they fly away, and trap them in a cup or container of some kind. I've been told the ants are delicious when fried. I'll let you know when I've tried them. I tried to upload a video, but it didn't work. It's on Facebook if you'd care to see it.

Aaaaaaand today I met a camel. No big deal. 

Until next time!

Em

Week 5

Hello Friends!

It’s been a good week!

It was great to get back to work after my malaria absence. I missed the kids so much and it was great to see them again. They were excited to see me and were very concerned about my well being. The children had exams this week, so they were pretty busy. One day, while they were on break, a group of girls gathered in the IChooseYou office. We played some music and it wasn't long before we had a full on dance party. No matter what culture, girls between the ages of nine and fourteen can and will jam out to my good pal, Justin Bieber. It was absolutely hilarious.  

An old school had a book sale out of their library to raise money for their new school. I bought 24 books for $5! HOORAY!

On Saturday I visited my favorite coffee shop in town. I’m starting to feel like I live here-I have a favorite coffee shop! I sat for three hours, drinking African tea, journaling, and reading. The barista knows me now, and she wished me a happy Women’s Day upon my arrival. There is something about getting your own teapot that is entirely wonderful.

I am told the rainy season has not yet begun, but we got a small taste of it this week. I got caught in the rain while in town and, let me tell you, dirt roads + rain + sandals make for some pretty nasty feet. Living here has given me a whole new appreciation for Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. I don’t even like looking at my own feet after I’ve been outside here; much less would I actually want to touch someone else’s. I guess that’s what makes the whole foot washing thing so incredible. If it was easy, it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal. But for Jesus, the King of Kings, to get down on the floor and wash twelve grown men’s nasty, dirty, smelly feet (one of whom was about to hand him over for a pocketful of silver)- well, that’s pretty amazing.

I bought some fresh jack fruit on the side of the road. It grows on trees, almost up to watermelon size. We actually have a jack fruit tree in our backyard. NOM.

This is my friend Priscilla, at church today. She’s precious.

Until next week!

Em 

Week 4

Hello Everyone!

I have delayed this blog post a couple of days because, well, I didn't have a lot to say.

I started off the week by getting malaria. I KNOW. Malaria sounds crazy, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. Callie spotted the symptoms pretty quickly, and I had malaria meds in me within an hour. You have to take malaria meds with some sort of milk product to go a little easier on your stomach, so I got to drink chocolate milk for several days. I spent my time sleeping (I set a new personal record: I slept 36 out of 48 hours), reading, and watching television shows. In case you were wondering, the season finale of Breaking Bad was spectacular. I'm so grateful for Callie for taking such good care of me, and for everyone back home for praying for me. Thanks, y'all!

I was feeling better on Friday, so on Saturday I went with a group of mzungu friends on a trip to Sissyi Falls, a beautiful camp ground on the side of the mountain. It was great for everyone who had been working hard all week to have a nice break, and it was great for me to leave my bed for the first time in five days. We trekked up some nice boulders to get to the base of the water fall.  The climb was a little nerve wracking and the water was freezing, but it was entirely wonderful. While admiring the waterfall, we spotted several monkeys swinging along the side of the mountain. We spent the evening talking and laughing around the campfire. One guy played some worship music for us, and we all shared a fear and a hope for this year and prayed over them. The sky was clear and the stars were amazing. After more singing and laughing, we each went to our tents. Ever used a waterfall sound machine to help you fall asleep? The real thing is pretty amazing. What a gorgeous place- and only an hour from where I live!

A shout out to my awesome big brother, Taylor: he turned 21 this week! I'm sad I couldn't be with him on his birthday, but I got to visit with him for a few minutes over the phone and wish him a happy birthday. Each of my five siblings has been very instrumental in my walk with Jesus. Taylor, the only one older than me, has taught me a lot about how Jesus feels about us as people. Taylor loves people. He loves babies and elderly, introverts and extroverts, the "cool" and the "weird". He just loves people. I swear, the boy could make conversation with a young mother just as easily as with a a retired Navy Seal. He values people, and his heart toward people is never so clear as when he gets a chance to be a protective big brother. Taylor is protective because he was born with an instinct to take care, to make sure everyone is okay. But more than that, Taylor is protective because he sees people as something worth protecting. He sees me as something worth protecting. I love this brother of mine more and more every single day. I know he loves all five of his youngers equally, but I am the one who has been with him the longest. No one in the world has been loved and protected by Taylor Robertson more than me. How lucky am I? I can't wait to see where Taylor ends up heading in life, and who will get to experience his loud love along the way.

Until next time!

Em

Week 3

Hello friends and family! It's been another eventful week in Mbale! I'm really starting to get the hang of things here and I'm settling in quite nicely.

A few memorable moments from this week:

On Monday, Callie and I took one our our IChooseYou girls to the doctor to get a growth on the back of her neck checked out. The doctor said that it wasn't a problem, but since it had grown and was causing her pain, she opted to have it removed. This thirteen year old girl lay her head in Callie's lap, large tears of fear streaming down her sweet face, as the doctor shaved the hair around the growth. Due to the fact that the skin on the back of your neck is very tough, the doctor struggled to numb the area. Poke after poke after poke, enough feeling was lost to cut it off. One nurse voiced her concern, "Shouldn't we get something to cover this? Won't blood spray on the mzungu?" As she went in search for splatter protection for Callie, the doctor went ahead and cut it off. In the end there wasn't much blood. Not nearly as exciting as you thought it would be, huh? Callie was rather relieved. The entire adventure at the doctor lasted something like four hours. Our sweet girl was such a champ!

On Wednesday, we had our very first Bible Club after school! I recruited a couple of P-3 students (the equivalent of 2nd grade) to help me lead a couple of songs, and one boy boldly volunteered to pray for us. I read from the Jesus Storybook Bible, the story of creation. We worked on a memory verse (Genesis 1:1), promising that if they can say it to me next week they will receive a sweet in return for their hard work. I'm pleased with how it went. I spoke to some of our older kids (5th and 6th graders) about starting a more "grown-up" study for them once a week and they're really excited about it- some even said they would like to study two or three times a week! I am so pumped to see these kids so eager to study the Bible. I am praying the Lord stirs a deep hunger for His Word in their hearts, from the youngest to the oldest. You should pray, too! 

Guess what! Our cat had kittens! Since there are three kittens and three girls in the house, we each got to name one. My favorite one looks unarguably like a lion cub, so, naturally, I named him Aslan. (If you don't understand why I picked this name, please google a Mr. C.S.Lewis.) 

Callie heard that one our mothers was sick and possibly in the hospital, but we didn't know which one. We headed to the main hospital to see if she was there and if we needed to do anything for her. There are moments here in Africa, out of nowhere when it hits you: this is not America. My first time visiting the hospital was one of these instances. I don't want to exaggerate it- I did not see anyone covered in blood or with body parts out of place. It was not a horrible, terrible place. But it was not what I am used to. The crowds, chaos, and overall feeling of hopelessness was heavy on my heart. I thought about my trips to the hospital as a child. It can be such a terrifying experience for a young kid to stay at a hospital, but everyone is working their absolute hardest to make you feel safe and at peace. It isn't like that here- they're just trying to keep everyone alive. There were kids lying on beds, their mothers standing outside, holding their hands through the bar windows. You never know when it will hit you: this is not America and my heart is not okay with it. An enormous mixture of feelings come in these moments. Fear. Discomfort. Sadness. Compassion. Guilt. I took my thoughts and confusion to Jesus. A wise lady once told me, "Pray until it lifts." I prayed, and it lifted. 

I am crazy about all of our kids in IChooseYou, but a few in particular have completely captured my heart. Priscilla is one of them. One day after lunch, she lay her head against my chest and just let me hold her. I held her and sang to her until the bell rang. Not all the money in the world is worth a moment like that. 

I finally finished decorating my room! I can't even tell you how excited this makes me. It turned out exactly how I wanted it. This may seem like a very silly thing to you, but lay off me, I'm a teenage girl. 

I got a PO box this week. I put the address on the right side of my blog. Feel free to send me letters! :) 

Until next week! 

Em 

Week 2

Hello friends and family!

Another week has flown by, I can hardly believe it. I spent the week getting to know my way around town (all by myself!), getting to know the culture and new way of life, and meeting lots and lots of new people. Luckily, I am pretty good with names. (Side note: I secretly think it's hilarious the amount of people who say they are bad with names. It's funny to me because everyone says it, but they act like they are a rare breed. When, in actuality, 90% of people are pretty terrible at remembering names.)

This week was very fun as well as educational for me. Here are a few highlights:

On Sunday evening, Callie and I took a mass of our IChooseYou kiddos to the supermarket for a treat. Most of them picked strawberry ice cream, but some (the smart ones) chose chapati. In case you are unfamiliar with chapati (I have no idea if I am spelling that correctly), it is a delightful flat bread-like thing. It reminds me a lot of the large homemade tortillas my mom used to make when we lived in New Zealand. You can get it on the street corner for about 25 cents. It is one of my favorite things about Uganda. Seriously, it'll change your life.

I have taken three children to the doctor this week. One had the flu, one had Typhoid fever, and one needs a filling in his tooth. I was very glad to get to know my way around the doctor's office and experience the process you go through to see a doctor. Something I learned: always bring a book for yourself and Angry Birds for the kids, because it can be quite a long wait in there. I enjoy the trips because it gives you one-on-one time with the kids (and they can't leave when they get tired of me asking them questions- they're stuck! Ha!)

I've really enjoyed meeting some other mzungus in the area. We have game nights quite often (I have learned three new games this week. My comfort zone has been stretched beyond it's limits.) I made one pal who lent me his French press, so now I have fresh coffee in the morning! Hooray! I also met an Australian guy at a birthday party, and we had a lengthy conversation about Frozen versus Tangled. As Disney princesses are my specialty, I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion. It was also great to meet someone from Down Under. New Zealand, I miss you.

I've enjoyed working in the office with Sarah, IChooseYou's employee. She has been very helpful teaching me about IChooseYou, the kids, and Ugandan culture. She is even trying to get me to speak a little bit of Luganda, but I have proved to be a disappointment. When people say, "How are you?" in Luganda, I can reply, "I am fine." And that's about it.

On Thursday, I went with Callie and the girls she cares for to a local swimming pool. It was so much fun to see the little girls enjoy the cool water, but I think I may have enjoyed it even more. Swimming has always been one of my favorite things to do. Whether it be a pool, river, or ocean, I'm there. Swimming takes me to this place of childish delight that I can't really explain. It's like the weightlessness of water strips away every care you may have, every worry that weighs heavily on one's heart. It made me think of the time last spring when my family went to South Padre Island for a few days. The first night we were there, my big brother, Taylor, and I ran straight into the ocean without a thought. I swear, we were five and six again. I miss that big guy. He asked me to be his Valentine yesterday. What a cutie.

I received some sad news this week. My step great grandfather passed away after a long battle on Dialysis. We are grateful his suffering is over and he is in the arms of Jesus. Tom was a wonderful man, and he loved my Mama Joe so well. He was an incredible example of Jesus' love, and he will be greatly missed. His funeral was today. I'm hurting over his loss as well as this nagging "I should be there" feeling. I knew that things like this would come along, moments where I question whether or not I'm in the right place, but I didn't expect it to come so soon. I should be there. I should be there for my great grandmother, for my grandmother. I know that my presence would not make a huge difference, but still. I should be there. I should be there because they're mine.

But I'm not there.

I hold on tightly to the promises God has given me. He is good. He has a plan for me and it's a really good plan. He called me here, so here is where I'm supposed to be. That's it. No doubts, no questions. I stand firm on His promises.

"You must go to everyone I send you to, and say whatever I command you."
Jeremiah 1:7

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

What a guy, that Jeremiah. I think we would have been friends.

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

Em