Missing Uganda lately

Saying goodbye to the people I met in Uganda was no easy task. And in a strange way I’m so thankful that it was hard. It meant that I didn’t just survive my two months there, doing the bare minimum when it comes to relationships. I dove in and was blessed richly for it. Because I’ve lived a bunch of places the last few years, I’ve had my fair share of good and bad goodbyes.The bad ones are the ones where I’m not sad at all to leave. It’s disappointing. And causes me to question why I didn’t get close to the people around me in the chunk of time I was with them.

Most of the time it’s because I decided to stay in my little comfort zone and not be transparent and vulnerable. It’s way easier to just sit in my room and read or watch a movie rather than taking a chance on community or even yet, to join in when it doesn’t feel like I’ve really been invited. It’s not easy for me to trust people and let them in but over the years I’ve had to learn that Jesus is the one that holds my heart (and will never hurt me) so I can take risks when it comes to opening up to people quickly. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get hurt, because I definitely do, but the reward of connecting with people on a deep level is so worth it. The friendships I made while in Uganda are ones that I miss but hope continue.

Some of the people who I miss:

I love this picture because so much of my time with these girls was spent laughing my head off. Here’s me, Jess, Katie and Meggie at a waterfall for Katie’s birthday. We surprised her with the trip and it was such a great day. We spent the day talking about life together on a little bridge at the top of the waterfall, eating delicious sandwiches Meggie and Jess made and just soaking up the beauty of God’s creation.

Here’s Jess and me. Jess taught art (she just went back home to the states) at an international school near the EMI East Africa office. She also lives at the DOORS Ministry’s house so I met her when I met the other DOORS Ministry girls. I miss my chats with Jess because they were never fake and never sugar-coated fluff. She always shared exactly where she was at in life and spiritually and I loved hearing her insight on stuff I was processing. I also loved having a fellow artsy friend around.

This is on that bridge near the waterfall and Katie is enjoying her lovely birthday sandwich. Meggie (left) and I met in August at EMI orientation in Colorado Springs. She has an amazing ability to make lasting friendships quickly and I think she left orientation with a whole gang of new best friends. It was so nice to see a familiar face when I got to Uganda. Meggie quickly included me in the intern/DOORS girls group hang outs. EMI EA had nine interns when I was there and they would get together with 3-4 DOORS Ministry girls at least once a week. Usually it consisted of cooking dinner together but generally we all saw each other on the weekend as well. I really clicked with that bunch and felt so loved by them from day one. I really am grateful that I got to hang out with Meggie in that group but also that we were able to hang out one-on-one. She one of the most encouraging people I have ever met and completely sincere.

Katie and I knew we would get along right away since we both had nose rings. I also miss this lady here in India. Katie has a life that wants to be filled more and more with Jesus and won’t settle for less. Her faith is nothing short of inspiring. Not because she’s this great “Christian” but rather because she’d be the first to admit her struggles and the tension of life as an American in Uganda. All the while pouring out love on everyone around her, yearning for Christ in everything and not missing an opportunity to laugh. Man, I miss laughing with this girl. I bet most people who have been friends with Katie aren’t the same after being friends with her. She can’t help but make an impact on those around her.

Sam! I loved hanging out with Sam. We walked and talked together one of the first weekends I was in Uganda while hanging out with Ali’s family (one of the EMI guards). For me, Sam was a listening ear when I needed to vent or when I was struggling with a lesson God was teaching me. She is in such a great time in her life. She just finished college and is about to head out into the working world. I love her heart for Ugandans and EMI kids. I think Sam was the unofficial EMI EA babysitter because all the EMI staff kids loved her! She never settles for mediocrity and I know without a doubt she will make an impact no matter where God leads her.

Here’s a pic of Uriah (left, New Zealander) and Paul (right) teaching David (middle) some rugby moves at Family Fun Day. I also met David and Paul at the EMI orientation in Colorado Springs. It was great to see them again and hear all that God had been teaching them over the seven months they had been in Uganda. They both had invested in Ugandan friendships and it was so cool to see their heart for to welcome new friends into their lives. David and I for sure have the same weird sense of humor and that kid can crack me up! I think everyone thought we were crazy when we would find something obscure to laugh about until I had tears in my eyes. I think all three of these guys have a joy for life that makes you just want to be around them.

There’s SO much more! I miss my roommate Brittany and was bummed to realized last week we never took a photo together! I loved living with Brittany. She is a true picture of a servant. She was welcoming and generous from day one, from letting me come into her home for a short two months to including me the tons of ways she serves in the community and hanging out with her friends. I loved having super deep big picture talks at night while also totally making each other laugh about something. She’s an introvert so I feel even more lucky that I got to get to know her and learn how to love people better by being around her. I’m hoping we’ll cross paths in the states if I end up in the northwest since she’s from Seattle.

I also miss the EMI EA staff, especially the local staff. Janet our cook walks around to all the offices to let people know “lunch is REEAADy” in a sort of singing way that I miss. Her and Stella, another local staff, are hilarious together and I loved when we would all leave at the same time and I would walk home with them. I miss looking out the window and seeing lush green plants and looking out at Lake Victoria. I miss the excitement Ugandan kids have when they see white people (even if it can get annoying after a while). I miss worship nights at DOORS and hearing more and more stories of the people of Uganda. I miss getting out of the city and going on adventures. I miss avocados that fall from the avocado tree at the office. I miss movie nights…. I think I could on for a while.

Although I’m slowly but surely getting into a groove here in Delhi, I can’t help but miss Uganda. Both places are dear to my heart for such different reasons. I’m so grateful I was able to serve at the East Africa office. I left feeling filled up. I hope I can go back someday and that the friendships that I made will last much longer than just the two months I was there.

Island Adventure

David, one of the interns at the EMI East Africa office, made a great friend over the last year he has been in Uganda. David first met Ramadan at a large market downtown where Ramadan was working. And although I had heard about him, I only met him once because he fishes on an island (in Lake Victoria) for a living. When David said Ramadan had invited people to come visit him on the island and stay there for a weekend I jumped at the chance. I figured, when would I ever have a chance to do that? It ended up being me, David, Belinda (another intern) and Gerald (another Ugandan friend of David’s from the same market).

This is Gerald, Belinda and I as we head out to the island. Before we got to the boat part of our trip, we took a taxi (15-passenger van) for 1.5 hours to the port where Ramadan met us. The boat was pretty bare bones but the scenery all around us more than made up for the less than comfortable seats.

So much of the scenery I saw that weekend, reminded me of New Zealand. The little islands popping out of the water and covered in lush, saturated green trees, plants and grass. I love the tropical color tones in Ugandan scenery.

These little guys were quite curious with the boat full of “Mzungus” (the Luganda word for white people, pronounced “ma-zoon-goo). Based on what I saw of the village towns on the island, I’m guess they don’t get too many mzungus there. I didn’t really have a clue what kind of place we would be staying at when I signed up to go. I mean, of course I wasn’t expecting something glamorous but it’s fair to say I was taken back when I saw the village. It was this tiny area full of kids, animals and small shacks. It smelled of fish and smoke from little charcoal stoves. I think my eyes got really big as I took it all in and took a deep breath at the realization it was going to be a more adventurous weekend than I anticipated.

One of the first things we did, after we dropped our stuff off at Ramadan’s place, was walk around little community Ramadan lives in. The kids followed us around everywhere and you could see their curious little brains trying to figure out who we are and what we were doing at their home.

Me, Belinda, and David walking around

The fishermen working on their nets

Typical house

A guy fixing nets. This dude knew what he was doing. I couldn’t help but think about all the times fishing is mentioned in the gospels*. This kind of community would have been common back in those days. Men fishing everyday in their small boats and spending the rest of their working days fixing their nets. Ramadan told us it takes four hours to set the nets and then another 4 to bring them in. I don’t know how long it takes them to work on their nets but it didn’t look like a small job. Not to mention conveniences like running water don’t exist so things like getting water, washing dishes, and cooking take a lot longer there. It’s safe to say their everyday is very different from mine.

*I thought of when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee) and John while they were fishing. [Luke 5:1-11]. Or the parable about sorting fish after a big catch and how it’s the same when we face judgement. [Matt 13:47-50]. Or when Jesus uses 2 fish (and 5 loaves of bread) to feed the 5,000 people. [Matt 14:13-21]. And when Jesus reveals himself to some of the disciples after his resurrection while they are fishing and end up sharing a meal with them on the shore [John 21:1-13].

After walking around the village, we met some of his friends from church, Janet and Stephen. They welcomed us into their home and later walked to the top of a nearby hill to show us more of the island. Janet cooked all our meals and was always laughing and joking with us. It’s funny because she isn’t smiling in any photos I have of her (not common in Uganda) but that’s how I remember her, always smiling.

On the way to the lookout

Looking back on the village

Gerald, me and Janet at a little cove area.

The rocks on the beach here were so cool. They were so smooth and cool colors of yellow ochre, red and browns. We were picking out rocks to take home when one of the guys decided to throw a rock… which lead to another guy  throwing a rock… which lead to a full on rock throwing contest between David, Ramadan and Gerald. I made the comment that guys are guys no matter what continent you are on and the game “who can throw a rock the furthest” transcends culture.

David, Belinda and I in Janet and Stephen’s place. We would all squeeze in here when we ate. It surprised me how little space people had and yet could still make it feel so homey. Even though Janet and Stephen didn’t have much, they were so generous in their hospitality towards us. It was pretty humbling.

Ramadan in front of a house in the village.

So after the walk around the village, the walk to the lookout, and lunch we went swimming! It was pretty fun to swim in Lake Victoria. It’s not the healthiest thing to do but I didn’t put my head under that much and got some sweet meds to take just in case. Again, I don’t think too many mzungus visit the island and even fewer swim leisurely so we got some stares.

After the swim we headed to the other side of the island to watch some locals playing soccer. When we were walking the sun was low and the colors of the island were amazing! I LOVE that time of day when everything has a golden tint on it. The walk we took could have been considered a leisurely hike that people would pay to do but instead it’s just one of the many tiny and windy walking paths that people use to navigate the island that has no roads and therefore no cars.

A village on the other side of the island.  

Sunday we headed out on yet another walk… this time to church. It was about a 30 min walk from where Ramadan stays and again we took a tiny little path through other villages, grassy fields, a pineapple field, and a lush forest with tons of fruit trees (Ramadan loved quizzing people on what plant was what and rarely did we know… guess that’s what happens when your fruit comes from a grocery store).

The praise team

We walked up and down the pews to greet people when we left. We wanted to stay longer but had another full day. Ramadan wanted us to see where his family lives so the plan was to take another boat to a different port and then a motorcycle taxi to his family’s land. And we still had a 2 hour taxi ride back to Kampala to look forward to.

It definitely goes against Ugandan culture to keep to a schedule. All plans are vague and more a list of things that could get done that day but not as specific timed events. I have a hard time with that. I kept looking ahead and thinking of when we wanted to get back home to Kampala (before dark) and knowing the taxi took two hours, and having no clue how long “visiting with Ramadan’s family” would take. I didn’t want to be rude and pushy but another part of me wanted to take charge and make us get stuff done on my time-table. In the end I would mostly bug David  who would sort of remind Ramadan that we wanted to get back by dark who would just smile and tell us it would be fine… which wasn’t the reassurance I hoped for.

We had a lot more people join us on the boat ride from the island to the mainland than we did going to the island. I think people jump at the chance to go to the mainland when they can. I’m not sure how easy it would be to get a boat ride there if you wanted to randomly go one day.

This picture is funny to me because although I’m smiling, I wasn’t happy. I was uncomfortable. And crabby. It was the culmination of a lot of little discomforts that added up to me wanting to jump out of that boat just so I didn’t have to be crammed on a little wooden bench for who knows how long. I would love to say that I went to this somewhat primitive island and stayed with locals and just went with the flow, soaking up the experience with joy, but I didn’t. It was stretching for me to eat some of the dishes they prepared for us. It was stretching to have no clue what the day’s schedule held. It was stretching to feel out-of-place especially within a culture I still was getting to know. It was stretching to be in the sun most of the day.

I felt a battle within me. One part practically screaming for the comforts of my home back in Kampala and the other part hating that I felt that way because it exposed my entitlement, selfishness, and lack of contentment in all circumstances.

It was about an hour and a half boat ride but when I think back it felt like a lot longer. When we did get to shore I was embarrassed I had such a bad attitude. It showed me how much I need Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life. If I’m not filled by Christ then I’m hopeless to find joy in all things.

I was sad to say goodbye to Janet after the boat ride. She showed me a lot in the short time I spent with her. She was always cooking, cleaning and serving us. While I complained in my head of the uncomfortable seat I had while eating, she sat on the floor and served herself last. Belinda and I stayed the night at her house and as I tossed and turned wishing I was sleeping in my bed back home, she slept on the floor. While I was a brat on the boat, she held an umbrella for more than an hour to give us shade. She showed me a life of servanthood, humility and loving others better than herself. I was sad to say goodbye to her but I don’t think I’ll ever forget the lessons her life taught me.

Here we are at Ramadan’s family home. We took bodas (motorcycle taxis) up to the house and it was a crazy ride. First, it took 45 minutes, the longest I have been on a boda before. Second, we were going up these huge hills and at one point Belinda had to get off the boda (we were both on one) so that the driver could get up a steep part. And Third, we were COVERED in dust when we finally got to Ramadan’s family’s house. It sort of looked like we all got a reddish-orange tan on the way up. I loved the ride thought because we got to see some AMAZING views of the hills around the bay.

It was fun to walk around and see his family’s land and to meet Ramadan’s siblings (pretty sure everyone in the picture are brothers and sisters!) along with his parents. I know it meant a lot to him as well.

Of course the adventure didn’t end when we went to town to catch a taxi to Kampala. Gerald and Ramadan’s brother (who was getting a ride to Kampala with us) went to the bathroom and when they came back the taxi was full. But in Uganda a taxi is never full and you can always squeeze more people on… so that’s what we did. We fit four in the back seat and four in the third row as well. It actually wasn’t bad and I think being squished together made the giant pot holes in the road more bearable. Anndd people got off soon so we sit like that too long.

All in all, I’m so grateful that I had this opportunity. I can honestly say it was one of (if not the most) craziest experiences I’ve had. I learned so much, saw so much and was shown A LOT of grace! I have a feeling God will continue to use this weekend to teach me lessons for years to come. Yeah for adventures!

Out and about

The last month has brought so many different experiences that I wanted to jot some of them down in one post. I love that I’ve been able to get into the community more here and meet so many people who work in ministry or who attend a ministry school. One nice thing about coming at the middle of the intern’s term is that I can jump right into what they are already doing. It’s so great how inviting they have been with me.

//DOORS SCHOOL//

One thing I’ve LOVED doing while here is girls Bible study at Doors School. Doors is a ministry here (http://hispicketfence.blogspot.com/) and the girls who started it, have become dear friends. They have a boys home for street boys (about 10 I think) and also this school for more elementary and middle school age kids. The girls who volunteer with Doors are great friends with the EMI interns and we all hang out at least once a week. I love laughing with them along with having great talks about faith and Jesus.

Meggie is really involved with Doors and goes to the school once a week for girls Bible study so when she asked me if I wanted to tag along, I immediately said yes! It has been so enriching to meet these beautiful girls and get to know them a bit each Friday. They memorize Bible verses like no one I have ever seen and have more sass than anyone I know. They each have a place in my heart and I know that I’ll miss them dearly when I leave.

Here’s Meggie leading a game of Simon Says. It was by far the funniest Simon Says game I have ever seen. Meggie basically was making up different dance moves, doing animal noises, and mixing in aerobics as well. It was a great time.

Here some of the girls are doing one of the dance moves Meggie was leading them to do in the game.

//BOAT RIDE//

One Friday afternoon, Meggie asked if some people wanted to go on a boat ride. It was fun to have a bit of different scenery and just make more memories with everyone. From left to right: Meggie, Jess, Uriah, Alena, Doors volunteer that I can’t remember her name, Sam, David and Katie.

A picture of the dock.

Our boat driver. Uriah, one of the interns, jumped in at one point and a bunch of people followed. I think our boat driver got such a kick out of us!

I’m going to miss the views here in Uganda.

//EMI MEETINGS//

A funny part of being the graphic designer is that I also get to play photographer at times. I’m not a good photographer but I guess I’m a few steps above the usual engineer photos (pipes, water tanks, food and sunsets) so there’s a few times where I’ll go along to meeting and project sites to get some good shots EMI can use in publications. Even though I’m not so good at the photo part, I LOVE going to meetings like this one. Here Jeff (right) is showing a ministry, Cherish, the plans for the medical clinic they are wanting to build.

Rachel (with sunglasses on her head) shared story after story of how God has orchestrated thing after thing so that this medical clinic can become a reality and EMI plays such a vital role in that. Cherish is a children’s home for kids with HIV and AIDS and also has a school for their kids along with village kids nearby. It was a blessing to hear her heart for this place and the children. It was also refreshing to hear once again, how EMI is helping others do what they do well. For Cherish that’s sharing the Gospel with kids with HIV and AIDS and be able to give the best care to those who are sick physically while meeting their spiritual needs as well.

I have so much more respect for engineers and architects after my time with EMI. It is amazing to see how much hard work and tons of hours they put into a project.

After going to the meeting at Cherish, I went with Steve, our Construction Manager to visit Yusufu’s home. Yusufu is a foremen that works with Steve on a variety of construction projects and has a unique story. He was part of the African Children’s Choir school growing up and toured all over the US and UK. He even won a grammy with the African Children’s Choir! The best part is after leaving Uganda and touring all over, He came back. He is investing in his community here and has a heart for the nation of Uganda. Steve is writing a story about him for this year’s annual magazine that I’ll be designing in India, so we went to his home to get a couple of photos for the story. It is always a blessing to visit an Ugandan’s home. I loved meeting his wife and little boy. And as always, hearing him and Steve joke around.

//WOMEN’S RETREAT//

A few weekends ago, I went on a Women’s Retreat with a church that my roommate goes to. Here’s a pic of where my room was. It was about an hour away from where I stay in Kampala at this medical place. It was amazing how peaceful it was even though it just off the main road. I loved all the green grass and trees everywhere.

The view near my room.

The retreat had a bunch of sessions on “Hearing from God” which I think is always a good thing to learn more about. God has really been breaking me down while I’m here with things concerning surrender, pride and control. It’s always hard when God cuts off the branches that aren’t bearing fruit in our lives but in His goodness it’s always so that we can be even more fruitful in our live overall. This weekend came at great timing. I had time to process all the lessons God had been teaching me the previous weeks. I had time to rest and relax which I can forget to do. And I was able to meet more people who I had great conversations with and great prayer times with. I felt so blessed to have been able to go.

//EVERYDAY WORK//

I think it’s always a bit misleading when I blog because I mostly blog about traveling, adventure or visiting locals when most of the time I’m here… in my office, at my desk. I love doing graphic design and working at the EMI East Africa office. I’ve been able to get my hands on a variety of project which I love. I also enjoy being talking with the staff, (especially the local Ugandan staff) and being encouraged and challenged by them.

I think part of me thinks overseas work should be done by directly interacting with the community. And it is but it’s also a lot like how Christians interact with their communities anywhere. I mean, I work as a professional at a job 9-5 pm like most Americans. I have an influence on my co-workers like most Americans. I see my neighbors and locals at their fruit stands, shops and motorcycle stands everyday, ok not like most Americans but we all see people in our neighborhoods each day.

I think God calls us to be lights no matter where we live. To do life with people. To get to know the people around us and love them well. I do graphic design for an Engineering Ministry, so that they can do engineering and architecture for Christian Ministries, so that they can reach children and adults who God has called them to. It’s like 4-degrees of separation from the typical overseas work but just like there are many parts in the body of Christ there are many parts to overseas work. My part is graphic design most days. It’s doing life with the people around me, whether that’s internationals or locals. It’s loving my neighbor. It’s the Church.

My Easter weekend

For Easter weekend this year, I went to Sipi Falls, about 5 hours from Kampala in Uganda. It was beautiful and wonderful to get out of the city and into the lush green landscape of Uganda. We mostly hung out at main lodge where we stayed because our room was a little hut near the stream. It was so cool. On Sunday we went for a hike to see all three of the waterfalls in the area. It was fun to do a long hike and parts of it reminded me of hiking in New Zealand.

I love waterfalls! I think I first fell in love with them in New Zealand. (We each got our own ‘hiking poles’)

It was rainy while we were there but not when we were hiking on Sunday. Here’s a cloud coming in along the path.

The views were amazing when we climbed to the top of the waterfalls. You could see for miles and miles. God is so big.

One of my favorite views of the third waterfall we saw. I love how waterfalls remind me of God’s abundance. They just gush out water, never relenting. It reminds me that Jesus has an endless amount of love and grace for me. He will never run out of resources or blessings for me. They don’t always look the way I expect but they are good because Jesus is good.

You can see a rope near the waterfall where people could repel down. We opted out for that part but if I was staying longer I totally would have done it. Can you believe how bright green everything is? Amazing.

My hiking buddies. Sarah, me, Rose, and Carey. Brittany (my roommate) decided to skip the hike since she had been to Sipi Falls three times before. Sarah and Rose are full-time staff and Carey is a long-term volunteer doing two years here. It was such a blessing for them to include me before even meeting me, in their plans for this weekend.

You can see little kids washing clothes in the water. Just another day living next to a gorgeous waterfall I guess.

This is a ladder of sorts. It was incredibly steep to up and down it and freaked some of the girls who have a fear of heights out but I mostly thought it was fun.

Carey and Rose, along with our guide coming up the ladder.

More walking.

This is when I felt like we were on a quest. When I told the girls my elaborate idea of how it looked like we were on a quest, looking for something, etc, etc… they just kind of gave me blank stares… guess the artsy-type have a weirder imagination that engineers and architects!

Our guide for the hike. He was awesome. I’m sure he thought we were crazy. He reminded me a bit of the tour guide I had at the Taj Mahal because he was always telling us the best places to take photos and offering to take some for us.

He loved telling us all about the different plants and vegetation growing all over the place.

At the top of one of the waterfalls.

Surprise! Another picture of a waterfall!

Our hut!

The girls in our hut. It was perfect because the huts come with five beds so I guess God just knew that I would be coming and would LOVE to go on an adventure my first weekend in Uganda!

When ever I see amazing natural beauty the Doxology comes to mind:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost”

A beautiful way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! More than adventures, more than seeing amazing landscapes, more than meeting new friends, more than anything, I am thankful for Jesus. For His life full of examples and teaching, His death full of humility and sacrifice, and His resurrection full of power and abundant life. I’m thankful that I surrendered my life to follow Jesus and that by His grace, I know Him more each day.

A day visiting Ali

A few weekends ago, I went with some of the interns to visit Ali at his house. Ali is a one of the guards for the intern boy’s house. Now, when I say “guard” it probably sounds way more intense than it is here, or at least how it is most of the time. There are problems with theft so all the houses have these really tall and thick walls around them and gates to get into the house area (or compound). The gates are opened and closed by guards. Since the same guards are usually around a few times a week it’s easy to get to know them and have conversations with them. Ali has been working for an EMI lady who lives in the same compound as the boys for a while and over the last months has gotten to know the interns really well. It was an honor to be invited to visit him and see his family. I had only met him once or twice but was invited as well and I am so thankful for the experience. 
The morning we left it was pouring out! We took a taxi (like the one in the above picture) to where Ali stays and some of the roads were crazy.  The roads here are FULL of potholes and mostly unpaved so driving when it’s dry is an adventure but this was on a whole new level. The drivers know so many ways around so we just took another way to be able to navigate our way there.

Ali and his family stay in Kampala but pretty far from the boy’s house. He actually has a small place he stay when he has to work a few shifts in a row because it would be too expensive to pay for transportation each day to work and already he walks 45 minutes so to walk from where his family stays would be way too long. Here I am with Sam and Belinda.

Ali has two sons and two daughters. Here’s a picture of the two boys and some neighbor kids. When we got there the kids were inside the small place with us and just giggling with each other at us being there. I like this picture of Ali because he always has this expression when I see him. He is a super gentle guy and loves to chat. Whenever I see him at the house, we talk about all sorts of stuff like how things are in America, what work I’m doing, how things are in Uganda, etc. He has the best laugh and is always interested in explaining things to me.

This is outside of where Ali stays and some of his family and friends. His wife is on the far left and his older daughter is standing in front of him. When we were at his place, we had an amazing lunch that his wife and her friend (next to her) prepared for us. I am always humbled by hospitality shown to me here. I feel like I never give as much as I receive from people. I think Ali was really happy that we came to visit him and meet his family because he kept thanking us, but I kept wanting to thank THEM for their generosity and graciousness.

More of the neighborhood kids. There facial expressions are priceless!

Part of Ali’s neighborhood.

After the lunch we went for a long walk. Ali wanted to show us King’s Lake so off we went. I think we ended up walking like 2-3 hours (I can’t remember) but it was great. Ali and his family always walked in front of us and behind us, later explaining that they were making sure no one messed with us. Meggie (pictured above) made friends quickly with their family friend (holding hands is common here if you are the same-sex but it would be uncommon to see it as a sign of affection with a couple, even a married couple).

Here is King’s Lake. I think one of the kings of the main tribe in Uganda had it made? I’m not really sure since I couldn’t understand all that Ali was telling us about it and haven’t looked it up. But regardless it’s pretty and it was a great walk to chat with not only Ali and his family but also the interns that I had only recently started to get to know.

The girls. Belinda (Civil Engineering, Australian), Sam (Civil Engineering, USA), me, Meggie (Architecture, USA) and Anne (Landscape Architecture, USA). It has been so amazing to get to know these girls over the last month. I met Meggie at orientation in August so I was really happy to see a familiar face when I got here to Uganda since she and two other guys I met there, stayed on for another term.

This is the youngest son of Ali’s. I loved his gum boots and his smile. It was so sweet to see Ali walk with him, holding his hand and carrying him when he would get tired. I think Ali has a big heart, especially when it comes to his kids.

It’s days like this that I thank Jesus for bringing me here. How often I’ve driven by areas of town like where Ali stays but I haven’t walked where they have walked or stayed where they stay. It’s incredible to get a glance at their day-to-day life. I don’t want to paint the “poor them” picture because they are good. The fact that Ali has a good job that he has had for years is a great thing. He can pay for his kids to be in school and he has some land with the hopes of all staying in one place closer to where he works. He is never negative and never acts like he doesn’t know what to say around me. One thing that bothers me here is when I hear people get into this “us” and “them” mentality when it comes to Ugandans. Yes, there are obvious differences. The fact that everyday I hear kids shout “Mzungu” (Lugandan word for white person) reminds me that I’m different. BUT, in Christ we are brothers and sisters and beyond that we are all made in the image of God whether or not you believe. I want to see people as people and talk with them, get to know them, and joke with them like I would anyone else.

I think sometimes it’s easy to think that I am sent somewhere by God because I have been given so much and need to pay it forward to others (which I do) but I have learnt SO much from the Ugandans that I have met, especially the Christian ones. I am blessed by them. I am grateful for them and their graciousness with me. I see Christ in so many different aspects of their culture and I am humbled once again.

Uganda – first impressions

I have only been in Kampala for 2 weeks but I have already experienced and seen so much. It’s hard to give a clear picture of what my brain has been processing because it’s a jumbled mess of comparing Uganda and India, remembering the trip to Cote d’Ivoire in 08′, and experiencing a total different EMI office. So here’s my best attempt at articulating my first impressions of Kampala, Uganda.

//MY HOME//

Here’s a pretty bad picture of the living room of the apartment (should’ve put some instagram filters on it). I live in an apartment about a 10 minute walk from EMI East Africa’s office in Kampala. The apartment is Brittany’s, who is the office manager at EMI, and she graciously opened up her spare bedroom to me for the next 2 months. It’s great that I can move into an apartment that already has furniture, art on the walls, spices to cook with, and an instant friend! I’m really thankful to have such a great place.

Here’s the kitchen (looking in from the living room). I thought Brittany was just super organized when I first moved in because all of her stuff is in plastic tupperware or ziploc bags but soon found out there has been a problem with ants so that’s the best way of keeping them away from the food. It’s always hard to figure out what to buy at the grocery store the first few weeks in a new country. You’re not sure how ambitious you should be and the lunches are so filling that I don’t really need to cook a big dinner. I mostly use the kitchen to make coffee (of course), filter water (which is always a process when you don’t live in a western country), and make my breakfast everyday (which has consisted of yogurt, muesli & fruit thanks to the influence of my Danish friends). Out the back door is a little porch where we hang out laundry and we have another porch that has a great view of the hills and Lake Victoria.

Here’s the view from the living room windows. All the streets that aren’t paved (which is 99% of them) have that rich orange-red color of mud as do all the roofs of the houses. I love how green it is here. It kind of reminds me of New Zealand sometimes with the variety of green plants everywhere, hills and the lake. I also love the big sky. It might sound silly but after living in Delhi for 5 months, I’ll never take a beautiful view of the sky for granted again!

So here’s the place. My apartment is the one on the third level. There’s a few kids that live in the complex that can be heard laughing and playing outside. I love it. It just makes me smile to hear them running around and laughing. There’s also a TON of birds around here. I have no clue what kinds but I get woken up each day to crowing and cawing. It’s funny because in Delhi I got woken up to street dogs barking so I guess each place has their morning animals.

Brittany has been beyond helpful with getting me acquainted to Kampala. Right away, she took me to an ATM, grocery shopping, etc. She and a few other girls on staff have been really wonderful with inviting me to tag along with them so I’m not just sitting around by myself. I really appreciate how people are so welcoming. I know I’m only here for a short time so I understand it’s not always easy to welcome new people over and over. I think it’s a way that Jesus keeps us relying on Him. He’s the only constant and once you get that, you’re more free to let people into your life even if only for a season. (I’m still learning this lesson but have definitely grown in it over the last year.)

//THE PEOPLE//

Here’s a group of kids that live in a slum area near the swampy part of Kampala. Brittany goes and reads to them on Saturdays and when they see her coming they swarm the little stationery shop she reads at. I LOVED going with her last week. These kids are so precious and totally capture my heart. The all knew ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ by heart and yelled the words out as Brittany turned the pages.

Here’s another shot of the kids listening to Brittany read stories.

That Tuesday, I went with Brittany to a school down near the swamp. It’s a school that a lady Brittany knows well started. I guess she started with just a shack and a few kids and now she still has a bit of a shack looking building but cement floors, chairs, and even school uniforms. Again, I went with Brittany to read some books to the kids and we also sang some songs. They each are so individual with strong distinctive personalities. It’s amazing that you can see so much of how what a kid is like by just spending an hour with them. I loved listening to them sing songs, especially the Luganda (the language here) ones.

Besides the kids, people here are so different from Indians. I’m used to walking down the street not looking people in the eye and not interacting with them much at all but here it’s totally the opposite. You can say hello to everyone and smile at them. The kids all look at you with intrigue and giggle when you say hi to them. And like in the states, people ask how you are when you go to the shops and grocery stores. It’s one of the ways that I see a distinctive different between Delhi and Kampala but that being said, I don’t think one is worse than the other. Just different. I got used to being in my own little world when I walked to the market in Delhi and came to appreciate the fact that people are reserved when they are out in public. And here I like that I can greet people and be friendly and not be considered odd. I feel like Omaha fits somewhere in between depending on where you go but that’s for a whole other blog post.

//EMI EA//

Here’s one half of the EMI EA office. It’s the side of the office I work on along with all 9 interns and numerous staff. The first difference that I noticed about the East Africa office compared to the India office is the size of staff. EMI EA has about 25 people at the office which includes staff, intern and long-term volunteers. India had 11 at the office (including me) when I was there. With a larger staff comes different dynamics. In India we all sit in one room where as here, everyone is divided up into different office rooms. I share an office with two staff guys and if I didn’t go to morning devotionals and sit with everyone at lunch, I would barely see the everyone! I also think it would take a lot longer to get to know everyone on staff here. I mean, I’ve met everyone but there are a lot of staff families that I have only seen come for lunch once or twice and there are quite a few local staff who I still haven’t talked to much. I’m thankful that I already knew some of the interns because we did orientation together last fall in Colorado. I’ve been able to hang out with them and meet the other interns which helps to get to know people.

The EMI EA office at morning devotional time.

For the most part this office does the same stuff as the one in India; architecture and engineering for ministries in Eastern Africa, but they also have a construction management team that is unique to EMI. My role is the same here, doing graphic design, and I’ve already gotten started on a few fun projects. I feel blessed to be able to see a different EMI office. It reminds me of when I was able to live at a couple different Torchbearer Bible Schools and visit the one in India and to be able compare them. I love how ministries don’t just work with a cookie-cutter mindset. EMI EA is different because East Africa is different and so they need to be. God is a God who loves variety.

//SCENERY//
I know I said it before but I love the scenery here. Here are some views of Kampala from a restaurant I went to that has amazing views.

Lots of those roofs and Lake Victoria.

Another one of hills with spots of houses all over them. At night they look like they have Christmas lights on them with the sparkle of the houses.

And another one of the lake. You can see the moon in the upper right. The sunsets here are beautiful. Right now it’s rainy season here so it rains almost every night and sometimes during the day but I love it because it makes the temps a cool 72 degrees. I was surprised how moderate the temperature is here. I imagined it being tortuously hot because it’s basically on the equator but that’s definitely not the case.

I can’t say it enough how grateful I am for the opportunity to travel with a career like graphic design. I always go through homesickness and can struggle with moving so often but Jesus is right here with me to guide me, comfort me, and bless me. I’m looking forward to experiencing more of Uganda and EMI in the next 6 weeks!