Sitting in the airport

Well today has arrived.

Needless to say I have been an emotional wreck all day.

Goodbyes are so hard. Especially when they involve 12 of the most precious children in the world.

There really is no way to describe how I am feeling right now. So instead of making a really bad attempt at that, I will tell you about my last day in Uganda.

It started like any other day, I woke up. Except I didn’t really sleep last night, so I woke up from a hour and a half nap.

I went downstairs and chilled with the kids before breakfast. Annet and Carol were sitting inside instead of playing so they started asking me about when I was leaving and such. Then I started crying. I think it scared them a little that I just randomly started crying, but I explained to them that I was just really sad that I had to leave Uganda.

Naturally they gave me some advice. Little 5 year old Annet in her sassiest voice said, “Well just stay!”

And right then I wanted to just say  okay and not go anywhere.

Later in the morning I read to the kids one last time and burned some CDs for my Ugandan friends.

Then I had my last Mama Monica prepared meal of posho, beans and cabbage for lunch. I don’t know if I’ve said this yet or not but Mama Monica is an awesome cook! There are only one or two things that I didn’t love eating the past 3 months.

Then during nap time I finished packing and got ready.

Once the kids woke up from nap time the real countdown was on. Only 2 hours before I had to leave. We had popcorn for snack and I taught Joel how to throw it up and catch it in his mouth (I’m sure the staff will thank me for that one). Then all the kids remembered that I had said I had sweets for them when I left so, every 5 minutes or so a different kids would ask me when they would get their sweets. Haha so cute!

Then I went upstairs, got my luggage, and brought it down to weigh it. Of course my big bag was 3 kg overweight, so then I had to move stuff around (which took way too much time and effort).

Then the goodbyes came. I wrote each kid a little note and gave them two sweets. I handed the first note to Brenda and immediately started crying… again! Which she thought it was hilarious that Auntie Cass was crying haha.

Then one by one I gave everyone my parting gift and then they all prayed for me.

After that, Mama Monica and Auntie Sara hugged me and told me goodbye. And then I had to get in the van and go.

It all happened so fast.

I still feel like this isn’t really happening. Like I’m just dreaming and I’m going to wake up or something.

But, I guess it is really happening because mothers with small children and people with disabilities can now board the plane.

Chao Uganda, it’s been real. You’ve changed my life.

So blessed!

I leave in 2 days! I really can’t believe it! I’m on an emotional roller-coaster right now!

Auntie Jo left on Thursday and Auntie Laura left yesterday, leaving me the last muzungu at Rafiki Africa Ministries. One of the staff members said that now the other two are gone they can eat me (Oh, African humor).

I’ve had some time to reflect on the past three months, and I am so very blessed to have been able to be here. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

I went to Watoto (our church) for the last time today and it was so bittersweet. At Watoto almost every Sunday the pastor asks people to join in groups of 3 and pray for one another. Today he asked us to just partner up with the person next to us and pray for each other. So Auntie Sara and I prayed together, and I cried the whole time! I really do feel like I have a little Ugandan family! Auntie Esther and Auntie Sara have become my “cousin sisters” and Mama Monica is like my Ugandan mommy! I am so blessed to have them as a part of my life.

I miss Jo and Laura! I am so glad that I met those girls and that we got to share this experience together. While I’m sure that we got on each other’s nerves at times, we never got into any real arguments or anything. And for such a random grouping of ages and personality types, I’d say that’s really awesome! They both made me realize a lot of things about myself and I am so grateful for their friendship.

I am so glad that I got to experience Uganda and see another part of the world. The differences and similarities between Uganda and the US have been very interesting to learn. I have become pretty comfortable living in Uganda, except for the mouse that lives up here with me (I discovered that he had been on the bed yesterday… not a fun realization). Although I wonder if I’m going to want to put on make up and do my hair when I come back, shocking I know.

I had to say goodbye to my favorite ministry that we work with on outreach days last Monday and that was hard. The street boys at A Perfect Injustice have captured my heart in so many ways. One in particular, Abbas, was especially difficult to say bye to. He was my little buddy!

My heart is breaking knowing that I’m leaving. My eyes have been opened to so many things since I’ve been here and my passion for adoption has only multiplied. I hope that the things I’ve learned here stick with me.

Please keep me in your prayers for my last few days here and for safe travels on my way home!

 

These are a few of my favorite things…

I can’t believe it! Only one week left here!

The past 3 months have been such a blessing! But more on that later 😉

I want to share with yall some of my favorite things about Uganda!

First and foremost, my favorite advertisement in Uganda.

All the ads from this meat company crack me up! This is my favorite though!

Secondly, my favorite Ugandan foods! Chapati and matoke! Chapati is like a thick tortilla kind of thing and matoke is steamed plantains. I learned to make Chapati and attempted to help make matoke… but it’s a good thing I wasn’t allowed to take-over that one. It’s difficult to make the traditional way!

Chapati

Matoke

My favorite place I’ve been in Uganda- Murchison Falls National Park. That’s where I had my safari and it was BEAUTIFUL! Between the Nile and the animals, it was absolutely breathtaking!

My favorite moment… thats a hard one to narrow down. But I’ll give you a few…

• A few days ago I had a horrible headache and little Esther gave me a kiss to help my head feel better, and then said, “Now I will pray for you.” She put her hand on my head and said the sweetest prayer I have ever heard come out of a 5 year old’s mouth. I almost cried!
• When the Uganda Cranes played Zambia on the Uganda independence day. Everyone in the house was glued to the game and it was so intense!
• Passion 2012 Kampala. It was incredible! I’m so glad that I got to be a part of it!

There are so many more but those are some highlights!

And of course I have 12 of my favorite little Ugandans! 🙂

 

The little things

I’m an emotional mess.

I leave in 12 days. Time has flown by. The days pass very slowly here, but the weeks seems to pass so quickly. I’m sure that makes no sense.

A dear friend of mine asked me what is my favorite thing that I have done here.

I really couldn’t respond. I have no idea!

But it made me think of when people you love die, move away or just aren’t apart of your life anymore, you miss the little moments. You miss having coffee together, laughing together, and inside jokes.

So I would say the little things have been my favorite things.

I will miss the 12 little sweethearts that I love so much.

I will miss walking in the door and having 12 kids shout “welcome back Auntie!”

I will miss Esther’s sweet smile and voice as she tells me how she dreamed about angels and heaven.

I will miss pretending to kung-fu fight with Joshua.

I will miss Don talking to me in Luganda like I know what he is saying.

I will miss cuddling with Emma, my sweet sugar muffin.

I will miss how Oscar talks like an American.

I will miss having to tell Joel 5 times to give me a real hug before he puts both arms around me.

I will miss how Brenda seems to lose teeth like they are going out of style.

I will miss all of the random things that Carol says. She makes me laugh every day.

I will miss Cocus’ hugs, he always wants to be hugged.

I will miss Jerom’s dance moves.

I will miss how Fauziya laughs at everything, rather it is funny or not.

I will miss the way that Annet takes care of everything and loves to play mommy, just like I did when I was her age.

 

These kids have been such a blessing to me. They are not perfect, they all have their moments, but they are all so precious.

I know I’m leaving so soon—and I am excited to be back home—but it still hasn’t hit me that I am actually leaving. Even as I write this it just doesn’t feel real.

They all have a special place in my heart and I am so in love with each one of them.

Thankfulness

I was on facebook the other day, trying to catch up with friends and family, and I saw so many posts about thankfulness. Which reminded me, Thanksgiving is so close! I am going to miss being around family for Thanksgiving, but I am excited to share it with my Ugandan family!

Since it is quickly approaching us, I decided to make a list of some things that being in Uganda has made me more thankful for.

-Jesus. I am so very thankful for the grace of Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation. I am so extremely undeserving of his mercy and love.

-My Family. I have been blessed to have such a supportive, loving, and Christ-centered family. My parents have always been there for me no matter what, and I know that regardless of the circumstances they will forever have my back. My brothers, as crazy as they might be, are seriously the best and I miss them more than they know. And Charis, my little China-girl, is the most precious sister I could ever ask for. My mom sent me videos of her pretending to talk to me on the phone in Uganda and I have watched them over and over again. We’ve had our ups and downs in life, but they are definitely my favorite people to be with. God has blessed me far more than I could ever ask for.

-My Friends. Being in Uganda has had an interesting way of showing me how incredible my friends are. Rather they are in Washington, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, or even Washington DC, they have sent me messages of encouragement and support throughout my time here. I am so so thankful for them all and miss them so much!

-My Home. Rather I am in Washington or Texas, I am thankful that I have always had a roof over my head and food on the table (even when its just ramen noodles). I am thankful for running water that doesn’t turn off. I am thankful for electricity that doesn’t go out every other day. I am thankful that there is hot water at any moment of the day. I am thankful for my bed.

-Skype. Seriously one of the best inventions ever! I have been able to see and talk to my family and friends while I’ve been in Uganda and it has been the biggest blessing.

-Steak and Bacon. I have discovered that I am a total carnivore. I have never wished for meat so much in my life. There is definitely a reason that my high school vegetarian phase lasted a week. I can’t wait to get home and have both of them!

-Smooth roads. The pot holes, humps, crevasses and cows that are all over the streets of Uganda make for a bumpy ride.

-PB&J sandwiches. Wait, what did I just say? Yes you read that right. Cassady Weldon is thankful for PB&Js. I can count the number of PB&Js I’ve eaten pre-Uganda on one hand. Until 2 months ago I could not stand them. But, God has allowed my taste buds to enjoy PB&Js. While this will probably never be one of my favorite things to eat, I am thankful that I even have the opportunity to eat them. The greater majority of Uganda lives on less than one dollar per day. If I am fortunate enough to have a PB&J in front of me instead of more posho, I am super thankful.

Things I have learned

Since I have arrived in Uganda, I feel like I’ve been learning something new every day. I’ve learned things about Uganda, kids, myself, God and life in general. I figured I would share some of these things with you.

1. God is the same God no matter where you are in the world. It’s one thing to say that, but it’s another thing to know it. It has been incredible to have a conversation with someone who has a completely different culture and background than you, but know that God is the constant in both of your lives. Worshipping with hundreds of Ugandans at the Passion Kampala conference was one of the highlights of this trip.
2. Things get lost in translation. Luganda is a very different language than English and we don’t have the same words or phrases or concepts even.
3. Malaria medicine should always be taken with food no matter what the bottle says. Never take it on an empty stomach. Also, malaria medicine gives you very bizarre dreams (mine seem to consistently include Zach Galifianakis).
4. There are many kinds of bananas! Who knew?! And the smaller the banana, the sweeter it is.
5. Public transportation in Uganda is best defined as chaos. Me and the other two short term missionaries here took a day trip to Jinja, and decided that a taxi would be our best option. The taxis here are the size of minivans and by some miracle are made to seat 15 passengers. It was an experience that I am totally fine with only having once.
6. The struggles that you have will not disappear just because you go to a foreign country. I don’t know why I assumed all my problems would go away once I got here. I’ve learned that regardless of my circumstances, I’m still a sinner saved by the grace of God and I just have to take it day by day and moment by moment.
7. There are so many ways to accomplish the same task. People do some things very differently here. Different isn’t a bad thing, it’s just different. So I’ve been learning to adapt and be okay with a different way of doing things. (Still working on it :))
8. I really enjoy being on the back of a motorcycle. At first the concept of getting on a motorcycle, without a helmet, driven by a complete stranger was a bit scary. But now I am pretty comfortable on the back of one. So, there is a new addition to my future husband wish list, I would like him to drive a motorcycle. 🙂
9. I can be very rude if I’m uncomfortable. Let me explain: In Uganda, if you are in traffic there are these guys that come up to your window and try and sell you things. Some of the things they sell make sense, like water or snack foods. Other things like shoes, toilet paper, wall hooks, and posters don’t exactly make sense. Anyways, these guys can be very forward and very inappropriate. So I usually just tell them “No” and hope they go away. It has been pointed out to me that my tone is super harsh and rude. I had to remind myself that it is by the grace of God that I don’t have to sell things on the street for a living.
10. Kids say some of the funniest things! The kids here have the greatest senses of humor!
11. As good of an idea as this may seem, spraying bug spray under a bed will not force a mouse out. Apparently bug spray does not fumigate the area enough to drive it out. Also, mice can fit in the smallest little spaces. It’s very frightening how well they can hide. The best way to get a mouse out of your room is to leave the door open and wait for it to leave.

So that my friends, is just a tidbit of the things I’ve learned since I’ve been here! It’s crazy to think that I only have like 23 days left in Uganda! I can’t believe how fast time has flown by!

Orphan Sunday

Today Orphan Sunday is being celebrated in many churches. This day is very close to my heart and I have been forever changed because of adoption. Many stories of adoption are shared on this day, so I figured I should share with you my favorite story:

On July 29, 2009 in Chenzhou in the Hunan Province in China, a little girl about 2 months old was left at a police station in an alley. Luckier than some, her mother obviously loved her enough to care for her and nourish her in her first 2 months of life. This little girl’s name was Chen ShanHui, Chen represents the place where she was found and ShanHui means “we hope you live a long and happy life”. Her mother abandoned her because she was born with an extra thumb on her right hand and her left ear canal was closed. Unfortunately in China, this little girl is considered a special needs child due to two minor issues somewhat easily solved through surgeries. In China, special needs children are believed to bring bad luck to the family, and many poor families are forced to abandon their children in hopes that the orphanages will be able to provide the medical care they need, but unfortunately they can’t. This little baby girl was abandoned and left to the horrifying realities of being cared for in a Chinese orphanage. For the next year of her life she would become malnourished, and numb to her emotions due to the lack of physical touch and love that she so desperately needed. 

In 2002, a little girl in the United States was watching a documentary about Stephen Curtis Chapman’s adoption and the need for families for orphans in China. She ran to her parents and asked if she could have a sister from China. Her parents began to pray about adoption, but the cost of the adoption made them nervous as they were very unsure if they could afford to bring one of these girls in to their family. But God gave them a heart for a little girl out there somewhere and in 2005, they had officially filed for an adoption. After 5 years of waiting, on April 27, 2010, this family received a phone call, informing them that they had been matched with a little girl named Chen ShanHui. But, due to the economy they no longer could afford the adoption, the money that they had saved was gone. After hours of praying and begging God to provide, this family received an anonymous donation from another family, who had heard God’s call and responded. They gave half of what was needed for Chen ShanHui’s adoption. Now, Chen ShanHui has a new name, her name is Charis ShanHui-Lee Weldon. And she is my sister, that God’s people helped bring home.

Adopting my sister has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I pray that through Orphan Sunday many families will hear God’s call to adopt or to financially support a family who wants to adopt. 

 

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me…”

Matthew 19:14 says, “But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.'”

Every Monday and Thursday are outreach days for us. On Mondays we go to an awesome ministry called A Perfect Injustice (API).  They do an amazing job reaching out to boys who live on the streets.

These kids are out on the street for numerous reasons, but they all want love and attention.

At API they learn a lesson, do an activity, play games, and have a devotion before being given dinner.

This week their lesson was about Uganda. We brought a world map and showed them the different continents and where Uganda is located. Then they made their own flag, which was an interesting process.

The boys were pretty proud of their flags, they kept asking me to take pictures of them with their flags.

I had a lot of fun with the boys, but when I got back to the house it started to sink in that they are all going to sleep on concrete. I’m sure they get very few meals apart from when they are fed at API.

I can’t even begin to imagine their day to day life.

But when I read Matthew 19:14, I was reminded that Jesus loves these kids, and He has clearly placed the wonderful people at API in their lives to let them know that.

Wednesday is our grocery shopping day.  I love going to the open market where we buy all of our produce. Everyone is very friendly there, but I think that’s mostly because they think I’m a rich mizungu that will buy all their food.

Thursday we went to an orphanage that houses about 40 kids that all range from 6-15 years old. They have a school in the orphanage that we taught classes in. I got to teach a P4 class of (ironically) 4 students.

I was pretty excited to teach until I was handed math and science curriculum. Anyone who knows me knows that is a disaster waiting to happen! But by the grace of God we got through it and I only made one mistake on the chalkboard!

Also, I had to say goodbye to the braids. It was super fun, but my hair couldn’t hold them. After I took them out I looked… well, afrotastic! haha

Tomorrow we are going to tour the Watoto village which is an incredible ministry. Can’t wait to share my experience! Then Sunday Oscar, one of our kids here, is graduating from kindergarden and going into P1! I’m very proud and excited to see the ceremony!

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Halfway point

Yesterday marked my halfway point for this trip. I can’t believe I only have 6 more weeks in Uganda! Time has flown by for sure! I am so thankful that I am here!

Sunday night we were blessed with the opportunity to visit Ndere Cultural Center and watch some traditional Ugandan dancing. I was completely blown away by how awesome it was!

Mostly I was impressed at how much they could balance on their heads! The men danced and played these huge drums on their heads and the ladies danced with as many as 8 pots stacked on their heads! Then they walked up the stairs!

Monday we worked with a ministry called A Perfect Injustice, which conducts three programs a week in the slums of Kampala for the boys that are living on the streets. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday the boys come to hear a lesson, play games, have a devotion time, get some medical treatment if needed and are served a meal.

It was so encouraging to see the love and dedication that the staff of this ministry has for these kids. They truly are doing what God has called them to do and it is so evident in the faces and actions of these kids.

I also voted from Uganda! So glad that absentee voting is so easy! (Well, at least in the state of Washington, I can’t vouch for any other states) But I just couldn’t miss my first opportunity to vote for president! 😉 ‘Merica!!!

On a different note, I took about three and a half hours of my day today to get my hair braided. I expected it to hurt and I expected it to last a long time, but expecting things and experiencing things are totally different! I have the utmost respect for people who get this done on a regular basis!

That’s all for now! Tomorrow I’m going to a craft market! Hopefully I’ll remember to take pictures this time!

Wrecked

I just finished reading the book Wrecked by Jeff Goins. I would highly recommend this book, and here’s why:

I feel that many Christians are going through life knowing that there is something more. In the words of John Mayer, “something’s missing and I don’t know what it is.”

We are waiting to figure out what role we play, what the greater meaning and purpose of our lives is.

Goins explains that we are waiting to be “wrecked.”

He says, “To be wrecked is to be disabused of the status quo.”

Through reading this book, I realized that is exactly why I came to Uganda. I knew there was more. I needed to get uncomfortable. I knew that I needed to be wrecked. And that’s exactly what I’ve gotten.

Goins also gave a definition of compassion that I had never heard before, the literal definition: “to suffer with.”

So many people are under the impression that philanthropy, volunteering, and serving are to make you feel good about yourself. But if you’re doing it right, it should make you feel worse.

“This pain, this discomfort is the key, the answer to our longing. Not for the sake of suffering itself, of course. This is not masochism; it’s redemption, making all things new. We are remade in the same way all things are remade. We go back to the place where we begin.” – Wrecked

I’ve struggled with this so much since I’ve been here. I’ve found myself feeling worse and more helpless. There is so much need here and I am barely making a difference.

At times I get so overwhelmed with how many orphans there are in Uganda. And here I am working in an orphanage with 12 children on a daily basis. Two days out of the week I go work with other ministries and orphanages. I see so many needs. These ministries have physical needs of supplies, more staff and larger facilities. But they also have emotional and spiritual needs.

I wish I could meet all of the needs of everyone I have met, but it’s impossible.

But in being heartbroken, I’ve discovered so much about myself and about people in general. I’ve learned that I had to have my heart broken in order for it to be whole.

I’ll end this with a quote that I really love,

“Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure” – Henri Nouwen