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 

Week 10

Hello Friends and Family! 

What an incredibly fun week it has been! This week has been full of friends, YouTube videos, adventure, photo-taking, eating, lots of music, Jesus, and heaps and heaps of laughter. I am so very appreciative of the friends the Lord has put in my life here in Uganda. I feel so overwhelmed with joy to be surrounded by such amazing people. I am beyond thankful that my heavenly Father has placed me in such a wonderful community of beautiful brothers and sisters. 

My friend Katie and I both love to take pictures and having our picture taken, so sometimes we take walks, snapping photos of one another along the way. Katie is an extremely talented photographer and I always end up with loads of lovely photos on my Facebook. I, however, can barely turn on the flash on my camera. The photos I take are never nearly as beautiful as hers, but being the sweet friend that she is, Katie pretends to like them anyway. Here are a few from this week: 

Here are some photos that I took of Katie. Despite my horrid photography, isn't she lovely? 

This week we had our first worship night at our house with some of the mzungus in the area as well as Ugandans. One friend led on guitar, singing music from Jesus Culture, Hillsong, and others. It was such a wonderful blessing to come together and sing familiar songs in our native tongue. Worship in other languages is a really incredible thing and I love experiencing it in Uganda. But sometimes you just want to be able to worship the Father with music you know well. It's familiar, and it's freeing, in a way that you can't really understand until you've gone some time without it. Singing some of the same songs that I've sung in America reminds me that Jesus is the same guy, no matter where you are or what you're experiencing. Hopefully worship nights will become a weekly thing among us. I am so thankful for it. 

Some missionaries in town organized a live music night at everyone's favorite coffee shop in town. All sorts of music, both well-known and original were enjoyed. It was tons of fun. This is Katie and I at the Endiro music night. 

Now here's for the most exciting part of my week: I went with a group of friends to hike Mount Wanale. Let me first say that I love adventure. I love trying new things and meeting new people and seeing new places, so the idea of hiking a mountain sounded awesome. "I'm so in!" I said in haste. 

HOWEVER: I am not athletic. At all. I'm not in good shape, nor do I have a coordinated bone in my body. Physical challenge does not sound like fun to me. The idea of sacrificing your body for sports has always been a ridiculous notion to me. This has made me a bit of an oddball, since I've grown up in a family of athletes, one of whom, *ahem*, is a two time football state champion. All that to say: it was hard for me. Really hard. I had to take several breaks along the way for a breather. I felt a bit bad for slowing the group down, but everyone was very kind. My friend Bex waited with me and prayed for me as I sucked air. 

A word on my friend Bex. Bex is delightfully British and quite possibly the kindest human being I have ever had the honor of knowing. Bex loves people with complete abandon. She can make conversation with anyone and watching her talk to people, particularly with kids, feels like watching a painter or a musician working at their art. She has this incredible ability to relate to people and make them feel loved. She sees people in a way that most don't; in the way, I imagine, that Jesus sees them. Bex gives the person in front of her her full, undivided attention, as if no one else were around. She asks questions with sincere curiosity. She acts as if you are the most important person in the world because, in that moment, you are. The love of Jesus simply bubbles out of her, in the way she laughs and smiles. It's clear that she has been completely enveloped in the love of Christ- people simply aren't capable of that kind of love unless the Father has poured it out on them. Bex is amazing, and I feel so blessed to be her friend in this season of our lives. I can't wait to see the things God has planned for the rest of her life. If the way she loves is any indication of how the rest of her life will go, it will be full, exciting, and extraordinarily beautiful. 

Anyway, back to the hike. As we neared the top, we came to a ladder. Honestly, it was much sturdier than it looked. On the way up the ladder, what do you know, my pants ripped. Not a little rip. Like a huge, never-trusting-Ugandan-fabric-ever-again kind of rip. Now, most people might be embarrassed by something like this, but for some reason, I wasn't. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. I was able to nick an extra shirt from Bex to tie around my waist. (Nick is a word used in the UK, meaning jack or steal. I love the British slang I'm learning from my friends, though I fear the day that they realize they could get me to say really goofy and potentially embarrassing things). The sight of a beautiful waterfall was waiting at the top. All in all, the hike was great. The scenery was amazing and the view from the top was to die for (which is good, because there were points where I felt like I was going to die). Here are photos! 

Katie and I 

Joe Rolfe, king of the world (Also, our fearless leader)

Natalie and I before going up this seriously dodgy ladder

Bex and I (and Dan the photo-bomber) 

The group! 

Up the ladder. Pants ripped, don't care. 

The tippy top. 

Love this silly girl 

Waterfalls! 

I really love the people who currently make up my community of friends. And though I know these friends will come and go from my life (as is the nature of life, especially the lives of missionaries), I cherish the time I get to spend with them in this season. The Father is so good. He knows we need good brothers and sisters- people to laugh with, learn with, and love with. To quote my homegirl, Audrey Hepburn, "I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I love most, to laugh." God has put amazing people in my life. People to teach me, support me, and love me. But, right now, my favorite thing about them is that they make me laugh. 

Em 

Week 9

Hello everyone!

A friend of mine pointed out to me that the last time I took this long to blog was when I had malaria- sorry, I don't have a cool excuse like malaria this time. 

A few highlights from this week: 

I met with the school librarian (Her name is Jen and she's wonderful) about using some books and workbooks from the library to aid me in tutoring. It was fun to visit with her and I now have some great tools at my fingertips. I really enjoyed just sitting in the library, surrounded by children's books, each in their particular place. I felt quite at home. I've really begun to miss working at the library back home. It was so much fun and I always looked forward to going to work. I learned so much there and got to be around some really incredible people. If you ever go in the Wimberley Village Library, give the place and its many wonderful inhabitants all my love! 

The P-6 and P-7 Bible study is going wonderfully. Here are a few pictures we took this week: 

I was invited to dinner, along with several others, at the home of one of the missionary families in the area. Their sweet six year old daughter has just begun to read on her own and they wanted to have a celebration. She read a whole story to us aloud, all by herself. It was so sweet to be a part of such a special moment and a whole lot of fun to hang out with the family. Moments like that make living here a little more normal, a little more like home. It does my heart good. 

This is Vicky. We have epic lunch dates. She just got these new glasses- doesn't she look great? 

A friend of ours had some business in Kampala this weekend, so Callie and I tagged along to the big city. The trip was filled with fun, beautiful scenery, shopping, good food, and a whole lot of laughter. Here is a picture I took while the boys were fixing a flat tire: 

Callie, our friend Dan, and I stuck in traffic. 

A painting I bought in the market- ISN'T IT WONDERFUL?!?

Until next time! 

Em 

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