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

Eventful Saturday!

Today started with a trip to the clinic! All the kids got immunizations, and let me tell you, taking 12 kids to get shots is not an easy task. But, they put on their bravest faces (well, most of them) and took it like champs!

They had a super fun time playing with the toys and reading books in the waiting room!

 

After the doctor’s visit, since we were all out of the house already, we took everyone (except Carol) to get their haircut– which is just shaving their heads.

 

And since I was giving Moses a hard time about his hair-cutting skills (you could totally tell which ones he did and which ones the barber did), he asked me if I had ever shaved anyones head. Of course I have! I’ve shaved my brothers’ hair before… little did he know I had never shaved african hair! So when he told me I had to shave his head, he had no idea what he was getting into! (It was a painful process for him… sorry! 🙂 )

 

 

Then we all sat down and watched the most intense game of soccer I have ever seen! Uganda Cranes vs Zambia Chipolopolo! It was an intensely close game and Uganda totally should have won!!!

One Month!

I can’t believe I’ve been here for a whole month! I still feel like I’ve been here for just a couple of weeks!

Right now it’s raining here; it’s been raining fairly consistently for the past couple of days. It’s funny how when I’m in Washington I can’t stand the rain sometimes, but here it’s so relaxing and beautiful.

I feel like I have learned so much since I’ve been here! My eyes have been opened to so much poverty, hurt and abandonment. I’ve learned so many things about the Ugandan culture and history.

For example, in America if I were to say to my friend, “Wow, you look really thin!”, nine times out of ten that would be a compliment. But here, that would be super offensive because a lot of people don’t get enough to eat here and are thin due to poverty, not exercise.

Some things about the food here was surprising as well.

Eggs are not refrigerated, they are kept in little plastic cases in the pantry. When your cases are empty, you just take them down the street and buy more eggs to fill them.

Milk, is sold in bags. Yes, that’s correct, bags. Plastic bags that hold a quart of milk. They are kept in the freezer until the night before you use them and you take them out to thaw.

Also, it is totally acceptable to eat with your hands here. While here in the city its not as common among adults, the majority of kids here eat with their hands. And we aren’t talking finger foods here, they eat beans and rice with their hands.

On Monday I thought I was going to have my first experience with this at another ministry we volunteered at. They were so kind to provide lunch for us, but they didn’t have any forks or spoons. Esther and I looked at each other, and she asked me if I’d ever eaten with my hands. I’m sure there was only a look of terror on my face. I couldn’t be rude and not accept the food, but I couldn’t imagine eating beans and posho with my hands! But just as I had finally talked myself into it, one of the administrative ladies came in with extra forks and saved the day!

Ugandan tea is something that I think I’ve finally developed a taste for. Sometimes its just sweetened black tea (which I love!), but sometimes it’s sweetened tea with milk and ginger. It’s got a pretty strong taste and a distinct ginger smell, and at first I could never finish a whole cup. But it is actually very good!

And since tea only makes me think of coffee, I might as well touch on that too. It’s no secret that I am a coffee addict. I tried to give it up before I came here, but that was useless. But there is a french press here (Praise the Lord) and a couple that visited from central Washington a few weeks ago came with a little bit of Starbucks. I’ve made some Ugandan coffee a few times, but the kind that we have here at home is pretty weak. So hopefully I can find something a bit bolder soon.

My latest find though was a box of Nestle instant latte which was on sale at the grocery store here! At home, I know I would have never even touched that (I’m such a coffee snob) but I’ve grown to love and appreciate those little packets. Who knows, by the time I get home I’ll probably even like McDonald’s coffee…

Anyways, enough about coffee:)

I truly love it here and am so blessed to be able to be here! Africa has officially stolen my heart and I don’t mind one bit! If nothing else, this trip has just been a confirmation for me that I am supposed to be working in adoption advocacy and orphan care.

Thanks for reading and for all your prayers and support!:)

 

 

 

The year of Jubilee!

Uganda has officially been an independent nation for 50 years! Tuesday felt like the Ugandan version of Thanksgiving, with a 4th of July twist! Everyone was very patriotic and sporting the flag’s colors: red, yellow and black.

Laura had all the kids make Ugandan flags and they learned that red symbolizes brotherhood, yellow symbolizes sunshine, and black is for Africa!

We had an AMAZING meal of fried chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. The ladies of course were in the kitchen while the men watched TV (see, exactly like Thanksgiving in America!!) The national celebration was televised, so that was super fun to watch all the cultural dances and such.

I even got to try and help with the fried chicken, although Auntie Esther said that mine were “burnt offerings”… 

Joanna and I made cupcakes as well! Well, she made the cupcakes, I just made the icing!

It was a super fun day!

Facts vs. Knowledge

Since I’ve been in Uganda I have seen so many abandoned children. The reasons vary among each child, but the product seems to be the same. Every time I go into a different orphanage my heart breaks at the number of kids that have been left without a family.

At Passion last weekend, Louie Giglio talked about how so many Christians have so much knowledge about God, but they don’t really know Him. I have gotten a clear picture of this since I’ve been in Uganda.

The past few years I have learned and researched and talked about this huge problem we have in our world.

There are over 130 million children who have lost one or both parents worldwide.

There are over 500,000 children in the US Foster Care system.

If only 7% of the 2 billion Christians in the world felt the call to adopt there would be no more orphans.

These facts and so many more are consistently in the back of my mind ready to share with anyone willing to listen. I love to talk about the need for orphan care and adoption.

However, until you walk into an orphanage and play with a child, feed them, listen to their cries, the facts are just facts. It’s only head knowledge.

But when you put a face with the facts and a name with the story, it becomes ten times more real.

That’s how it is with God. It’s not enough to just know the information. It is a relationship. It is a daily decision to walk with Him and learn about His character.

Me and Brenda 

Tuesday is Uganda’s Jubilee celebration of 50 years of independence! Can’t wait to share pictures! Please pray for peace in Uganda and for wisdom for the government leaders here. Pray for their economy to be strengthened and resources to be used wisely.

Meet the kids!

Joshua is the oldest of the Rafiki kids and such a leader. He loves to goof off and mess around. The other night I was showing the kids how to dance like Cinderella and Prince Charming do, and Joshua picked it up for sure! At random times the past few nights he has treated me to a dance! So precious!

Joel is such a funny kid! He can be quiet sometimes, but has the most infectious smile! Me and him have nicknames for each other. I call him Jarrel and he calls me Auntie Cass. He thinks its very cool that he has a nickname for me.

Fauziya is a girl that loves to laugh! She laughs all the time! Which works out well for me because I love hearing her laugh! It takes about 5 minutes of giggling for her to finally give in and hug me goodnight because she knows that with my goodnight hugs comes tickling!

Cocus suffers from Potts disease from tuberculosis of the spine. But that doesn’t slow him down one bit! He is a very sweet boy that loves to sit in your lap and be hugged. I almost always see him with a smile on his face! 

Brenda is a high energy child for sure! She is so much fun! She loves flexing her arms and showing you how strong she is, and she is strong for sure! I’m convinced she is 100% muscle.

Annet is a girly girl in just about every way! She loves playing with babies and looks after the little ones with such a caring heart. Any time we are coloring she takes an extra long time making sure she colors in the lines.

Oscar is such a smart kid! He is so good at speaking English and speaks in full, complete sentences. He loves teaching, rather its teaching me a new word in Luganda or pretending to teach the rest of the kids school.

Esther is a little sweetheart! She is quiet and softspoken, but is such a helper. She has such a kind and gentle spirit and a precious smile!

Jerom is a sweetheart! He has such a sweet smile! He loves playing with the older boys and getting to help with chores. He takes such joy in reciting our weekly Bible verses!

Don is such a cutie! He has the cutest one-toothed smile you will ever see! He had to get all of his baby teeth removed due to infection and uses little dentures to eat.

Carol is such a little princess! She has a wonderful spirit and loves to be twirled around like a ballerina. She has been working very hard making sure she knows all her alphabet, colors and shapes. Such a smart cookie! Last night she told me I was her best friend- I could have cried! So precious!

Emma is short for Emmanuel. He is the cutest little boy I have ever met! He is such a cuddle bug and loves to give me goodnight kisses and “nosey kisses” or eskimo kisses. The youngest of the kids he secretly enjoys being babied, but at the same time he just wants to be one of the big boys.