I'm the one at the front sprawled out, clinging for dear life. :)
I'm at the top right of the raft...it was crazy!
I'm already in the water in this one...I fell out a lot that day :)
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Rafting Photos
I'm the one at the front sprawled out, clinging for dear life. :)I'm at the top right of the raft...it was crazy!I'm already in the water in this one...I fell out a lot that day :)
Short But Sweet
7-26-12
Right now I am lying in my bed in the volunteers’ apartment in Gulu, a city miles away from Kampala. But before I tell you about all the things that have happened in the past few days.
I found out that I was going to be coming to Gulu on th 21st (last Saturday). Ever since then I’ve been so excited to finally come to Gulu; I’ve wanted to volunteer in Gulu since I applied to Watoto because of the Trauma Rehabilitation center they have here. I soon found out, however, that leaving Kampala/Buziga wouldn’t be as easy as I thought. Monday morning when I went in to Bulrushes and started working with my boys in the special needs room it hit me that in just a few days I wouldn’t be getting to spend every day with them. I wouldn’t be able to make sure they were okay and I wouldn’t be able to shower them with love. It broke my heart knowing I would have to say goodbye to them soon. I said goodbye to my boys on Wednesday late morning because that was the day of our volunteers meeting and I wouldn’t get to see them (or so I thought) before I left for Gulu. I kissed each one of them goodbye and had my picture taken with each of them, and then I had to walk out of Baby Watoto to go to the meeting. I tried so hard not to think about my boys, but I couldn’t help it. Even as early as Monday, before I said goodbye to the boys, I was getting upset so to distract myself I packed all of my stuff up Monday night…even though I wasn’t leaving until Thursday afternoon.
It was also really hard to say goodbye to the roommates I left behind in Buziga. Although I know one of the volunteers here in Gulu it was hard leaving the people I’d spent a month with, and some people I’ve spent my whole time here with. It was even hard leaving the home in Buziga because it’s the only home I’ve known here in Uganda, and leaving that comfort and consistency was a little scary. Plus, there are so many memories I have in that house. But this morning and afternoon (even last night) I said goodbye to my roommates who trickled out of the house to go to work at various times throughout the day. I hate goodbyes. I can’t imagine what I’m going to be like once I actually leave Uganda…ugh, I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. Anyway, I said goodbye to my roommates and the house and then headed to Gulu, but before we headed off we needed to stop at the Babies Home in Kampala to pick some things up to drop off at the Babies Home here in Gulu. I was SO excited for another chance to see my boys!! It was great seeing them again, but it was also torture; knowing that I needed to put my baby Justin down for the last time and say goodbye was SO SO hard!! Part of me wished I hadn’t gone in to see them today, but I couldn’t miss a chance to love on them.
The ride to Gulu took…5-6 hours. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be which I was very grateful for. On the way here we saw monkeys in the trees on the side of the road, and a huge waterfall (I think it was Kumara falls or something like that). I also saw a patch of sunflowers, something I haven’t seen at all during my time in Uganda. The sunflowers made me think instantly of one of my best friends Sarina—sunflowers are her favorite. I also saw the “special tree” that the other volunteers riding with me and Fred (the volunteer host…he basically looks after us and makes sure we’re ok) were telling me about throughout the drive. From the distance you see this huge tree on top of a hill on the right side of the road. Everyone just kept telling me to look at the tree, I didn’t know what to expect. Was the thing going to shoot off fireworks, were hundreds of monkeys living in it? I had no idea, so I just kept looking at this tree as it grew closer and closer. When we got a few yards away I started to see that this tree that looked so huge and enormous a miles down the road was actually two smaller trees that were so close to each other you didn’t know there were two until you went right past the trees. We all looked at it through the rear window too, and I got to see the trees twist back into one huge one as we drove off, it was actually pretty cool.
It’s a little weird, and I have to admit, a bit sad not spending the night sleeping in Buziga like I have for the past two months. There are so many things that are different about Gulu, and I am sure I’m going to grow to love it here, but right now I’m still trying to adjust. I’m so excited to be here, but I’m also sad to be out of Kampala/Buziga because I knew what life was like there, I was comfortable there. But it’s pretty cool to see how God is working; a couple weeks ago I started realizing that I was getting more and more comfortable in Kampala and was therefore not relying on God as much as I was in the beginning. Maybe making this switch to Gulu is exactly what I needed in my walk with the Lord. Plus, I need to keep things in perspective; being in Gulu is what I’ve wanted since I applied to volunteer with Watoto and God has given fulfilled that dream, just like He fulfilled my dream of coming to Africa to help the little babies here. I was scared and nervous when I first got to Uganda, but after a few weeks I was in love and SO thankful the Lord brought me here; I’m hoping and praying (and part of me knows) it will be the same with Gulu.
Right now I am lying in my bed in the volunteers’ apartment in Gulu, a city miles away from Kampala. But before I tell you about all the things that have happened in the past few days.
I found out that I was going to be coming to Gulu on th 21st (last Saturday). Ever since then I’ve been so excited to finally come to Gulu; I’ve wanted to volunteer in Gulu since I applied to Watoto because of the Trauma Rehabilitation center they have here. I soon found out, however, that leaving Kampala/Buziga wouldn’t be as easy as I thought. Monday morning when I went in to Bulrushes and started working with my boys in the special needs room it hit me that in just a few days I wouldn’t be getting to spend every day with them. I wouldn’t be able to make sure they were okay and I wouldn’t be able to shower them with love. It broke my heart knowing I would have to say goodbye to them soon. I said goodbye to my boys on Wednesday late morning because that was the day of our volunteers meeting and I wouldn’t get to see them (or so I thought) before I left for Gulu. I kissed each one of them goodbye and had my picture taken with each of them, and then I had to walk out of Baby Watoto to go to the meeting. I tried so hard not to think about my boys, but I couldn’t help it. Even as early as Monday, before I said goodbye to the boys, I was getting upset so to distract myself I packed all of my stuff up Monday night…even though I wasn’t leaving until Thursday afternoon.
It was also really hard to say goodbye to the roommates I left behind in Buziga. Although I know one of the volunteers here in Gulu it was hard leaving the people I’d spent a month with, and some people I’ve spent my whole time here with. It was even hard leaving the home in Buziga because it’s the only home I’ve known here in Uganda, and leaving that comfort and consistency was a little scary. Plus, there are so many memories I have in that house. But this morning and afternoon (even last night) I said goodbye to my roommates who trickled out of the house to go to work at various times throughout the day. I hate goodbyes. I can’t imagine what I’m going to be like once I actually leave Uganda…ugh, I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. Anyway, I said goodbye to my roommates and the house and then headed to Gulu, but before we headed off we needed to stop at the Babies Home in Kampala to pick some things up to drop off at the Babies Home here in Gulu. I was SO excited for another chance to see my boys!! It was great seeing them again, but it was also torture; knowing that I needed to put my baby Justin down for the last time and say goodbye was SO SO hard!! Part of me wished I hadn’t gone in to see them today, but I couldn’t miss a chance to love on them.
The ride to Gulu took…5-6 hours. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be which I was very grateful for. On the way here we saw monkeys in the trees on the side of the road, and a huge waterfall (I think it was Kumara falls or something like that). I also saw a patch of sunflowers, something I haven’t seen at all during my time in Uganda. The sunflowers made me think instantly of one of my best friends Sarina—sunflowers are her favorite. I also saw the “special tree” that the other volunteers riding with me and Fred (the volunteer host…he basically looks after us and makes sure we’re ok) were telling me about throughout the drive. From the distance you see this huge tree on top of a hill on the right side of the road. Everyone just kept telling me to look at the tree, I didn’t know what to expect. Was the thing going to shoot off fireworks, were hundreds of monkeys living in it? I had no idea, so I just kept looking at this tree as it grew closer and closer. When we got a few yards away I started to see that this tree that looked so huge and enormous a miles down the road was actually two smaller trees that were so close to each other you didn’t know there were two until you went right past the trees. We all looked at it through the rear window too, and I got to see the trees twist back into one huge one as we drove off, it was actually pretty cool.
It’s a little weird, and I have to admit, a bit sad not spending the night sleeping in Buziga like I have for the past two months. There are so many things that are different about Gulu, and I am sure I’m going to grow to love it here, but right now I’m still trying to adjust. I’m so excited to be here, but I’m also sad to be out of Kampala/Buziga because I knew what life was like there, I was comfortable there. But it’s pretty cool to see how God is working; a couple weeks ago I started realizing that I was getting more and more comfortable in Kampala and was therefore not relying on God as much as I was in the beginning. Maybe making this switch to Gulu is exactly what I needed in my walk with the Lord. Plus, I need to keep things in perspective; being in Gulu is what I’ve wanted since I applied to volunteer with Watoto and God has given fulfilled that dream, just like He fulfilled my dream of coming to Africa to help the little babies here. I was scared and nervous when I first got to Uganda, but after a few weeks I was in love and SO thankful the Lord brought me here; I’m hoping and praying (and part of me knows) it will be the same with Gulu.
7-27-12
Being in Gulu is already getting easier. Today my roommates and I went to the Babies Home (where I actually got to play with the kids for a little bit), got the schedule for the month (which always helps me feel grounded), went to the market to buy some food, which helped me get a better sense of the feel of the city. We took bodas (motorcycles) everywhere we went, which was really great. Just getting in the city and seeing what the atmosphere is like made me feel more comfortable. Tonight one of my roommates (Rebecca) made a rice stir fry. Anyone who knows me knows that I eat very few, if any, vegetables…I have a feeling that’s going to be very different once I get back from Uganda. Last night we had pizza which had onions, and green and red peppers on it, and tonight our stir fry had carrots, green beans, cucumbers, onions and green peppers all fried together with the rice. It was SO good! I was honestly shocked by how much I enjoyed it, I even had seconds.
I have my schedule for the Babies Home for the entire time I’ll be in Gulu; I’m on the morning shift for the first two weeks, the third week I’m on the afternoon shift, and on the morning shift my last week. My days off are Wednesdays and Thursdays, and on Saturday and Sunday we work half days. Morning shift is from 7am-3:30pm, and afternoon shift is 11am-6pm; weekend morning shift is from 7am-1pm and weekend afternoon shift is from 11am-4pm. I have a feeling my time is Gulu is going to FLY by. Going on safari won’t make the time seem to go any slower. Rebecca and I are the only ones from our apartment going on safari and we decided that the week of the 12th would probably work best; that week will be about the halfway point of my time in Gulu. Looking at a calendar at how many weeks/days I have left here seems so weird; it looks like it’s such a short time, but at times I feel like I’m going to be here for what seems like forever.
Being in Gulu is already getting easier. Today my roommates and I went to the Babies Home (where I actually got to play with the kids for a little bit), got the schedule for the month (which always helps me feel grounded), went to the market to buy some food, which helped me get a better sense of the feel of the city. We took bodas (motorcycles) everywhere we went, which was really great. Just getting in the city and seeing what the atmosphere is like made me feel more comfortable. Tonight one of my roommates (Rebecca) made a rice stir fry. Anyone who knows me knows that I eat very few, if any, vegetables…I have a feeling that’s going to be very different once I get back from Uganda. Last night we had pizza which had onions, and green and red peppers on it, and tonight our stir fry had carrots, green beans, cucumbers, onions and green peppers all fried together with the rice. It was SO good! I was honestly shocked by how much I enjoyed it, I even had seconds.
I have my schedule for the Babies Home for the entire time I’ll be in Gulu; I’m on the morning shift for the first two weeks, the third week I’m on the afternoon shift, and on the morning shift my last week. My days off are Wednesdays and Thursdays, and on Saturday and Sunday we work half days. Morning shift is from 7am-3:30pm, and afternoon shift is 11am-6pm; weekend morning shift is from 7am-1pm and weekend afternoon shift is from 11am-4pm. I have a feeling my time is Gulu is going to FLY by. Going on safari won’t make the time seem to go any slower. Rebecca and I are the only ones from our apartment going on safari and we decided that the week of the 12th would probably work best; that week will be about the halfway point of my time in Gulu. Looking at a calendar at how many weeks/days I have left here seems so weird; it looks like it’s such a short time, but at times I feel like I’m going to be here for what seems like forever.
7-28-12
Today was my first day actually working in the Babies Home in Gulu. It was so good! I spent the whole day taking care of a four day old baby called Dennis. It was a pretty easy day; all I had to do was feed him, change him, and watch him sleep J. I worked from 7-1. Right now I’m at Coffee Hut, a coffee shop in downtown Gulu. It’s so calm in Gulu, so different from Kampala. I walked all the way from the Babies Home to the Coffee Hut by myself today and it was great. I wasn’t nervous or freaked out, plus the distance from one point to another in Gulu isn’t that far. I’ve been sitting in this coffee shop for like 2.5 hours; I’ve been able to video skype w/ my parents which was great! Being able to use the free internet here is awesome! I’m going to skype as much as I can and upload my photos and videos to my blog whenever I’m at the Coffee Hut, that way my internet stick should last a long time!
Today was my first day actually working in the Babies Home in Gulu. It was so good! I spent the whole day taking care of a four day old baby called Dennis. It was a pretty easy day; all I had to do was feed him, change him, and watch him sleep J. I worked from 7-1. Right now I’m at Coffee Hut, a coffee shop in downtown Gulu. It’s so calm in Gulu, so different from Kampala. I walked all the way from the Babies Home to the Coffee Hut by myself today and it was great. I wasn’t nervous or freaked out, plus the distance from one point to another in Gulu isn’t that far. I’ve been sitting in this coffee shop for like 2.5 hours; I’ve been able to video skype w/ my parents which was great! Being able to use the free internet here is awesome! I’m going to skype as much as I can and upload my photos and videos to my blog whenever I’m at the Coffee Hut, that way my internet stick should last a long time!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sickness, Changes and Revelations
7-15-12
I spent most of today in my bed. Yesterday, my day off, I and a couple of my roommates went to Cassia Lodge to relax by the pool and get some sun. I got a bit too much. My entire back is about as red as a tomato, but my roommates have been taking excellent care of me! I’m hoping I can keep some of a tan from the sun I got yesterday, it’d be a shame to go through sunburn like this and still be as white as ever J. Last night Anna, Anna, Mitch and I went to a place about 50 yards from our apartment for a cup of Ugandan Tea. Although there were moments of sketchiness it was delicious tea. The “restaurant” we went to was literally a shack. It was just big enough to fit a table and a few benches in. A few minutes after we sat down on a bench a guy (who was obviously drunk, by his speech and his smell) came in and sat down across from us and tried to make conversation. It wasn’t really scary; I didn’t feel unsafe and only felt a little uncomfortable, which I would around any drunk guy no matter where I was. But it was actually pretty funny; Mitch would just respond with sarcasm and witty things whenever the guy said something. The guy didn’t pick up on it, but I had a hard time keeping my laughter in. I think the guy thought we were finding him entertaining…which I guess, in a way, we were. Anyway, after a while our tea came and it was amazing! It tasted like a chai tea from back home, only about 10 times better, and it was WAY cheaper. It cost 800 Ugandan Shillings, which is about $0.33US…very nice!
I really missed the kiddos, and was going stir crazy alone in the house lying in bed all day watching Lie To Me, a TV series I’ve become addicted to here. Hopefully I’ll be feeling good enough to go in tomorrow, I don’t know what I would do if I had to spend another day alone in the house.
I’ve been in Uganda nearly 6 weeks, next week Tuesday will be the halfway point of my trip. This first half went by so quickly, I don’t even want to think about how quickly September 3rd is going to come. I’m sure I’ll be glad to see everyone back home, but it’s going to be SO sad leaving this place and these people. But I’m going to try and not think about that right now, I still have a lot of time to enjoy this place, and a lot of fun to have and lessons to learn J
I spent most of today in my bed. Yesterday, my day off, I and a couple of my roommates went to Cassia Lodge to relax by the pool and get some sun. I got a bit too much. My entire back is about as red as a tomato, but my roommates have been taking excellent care of me! I’m hoping I can keep some of a tan from the sun I got yesterday, it’d be a shame to go through sunburn like this and still be as white as ever J. Last night Anna, Anna, Mitch and I went to a place about 50 yards from our apartment for a cup of Ugandan Tea. Although there were moments of sketchiness it was delicious tea. The “restaurant” we went to was literally a shack. It was just big enough to fit a table and a few benches in. A few minutes after we sat down on a bench a guy (who was obviously drunk, by his speech and his smell) came in and sat down across from us and tried to make conversation. It wasn’t really scary; I didn’t feel unsafe and only felt a little uncomfortable, which I would around any drunk guy no matter where I was. But it was actually pretty funny; Mitch would just respond with sarcasm and witty things whenever the guy said something. The guy didn’t pick up on it, but I had a hard time keeping my laughter in. I think the guy thought we were finding him entertaining…which I guess, in a way, we were. Anyway, after a while our tea came and it was amazing! It tasted like a chai tea from back home, only about 10 times better, and it was WAY cheaper. It cost 800 Ugandan Shillings, which is about $0.33US…very nice!
I really missed the kiddos, and was going stir crazy alone in the house lying in bed all day watching Lie To Me, a TV series I’ve become addicted to here. Hopefully I’ll be feeling good enough to go in tomorrow, I don’t know what I would do if I had to spend another day alone in the house.
I’ve been in Uganda nearly 6 weeks, next week Tuesday will be the halfway point of my trip. This first half went by so quickly, I don’t even want to think about how quickly September 3rd is going to come. I’m sure I’ll be glad to see everyone back home, but it’s going to be SO sad leaving this place and these people. But I’m going to try and not think about that right now, I still have a lot of time to enjoy this place, and a lot of fun to have and lessons to learn J
5-17-12
Today I stayed home again because I wasn’t feeling well. I slept basically all day (other than going to the bathroom). It was pretty easy to do that because the power was out from 8am until about 8pm tonight, it came on for about a half an hour and just went off again. I have a day off tomorrow, which is good because I don’t think I’ll be feeling better by then. Tomorrow is Anna’s last day here; she leaves at midnight on Thursday so I won’t see her after that. We’re thinking about getting Ugandan donuts (mondozi) from down the street for breakfast and then going out to lunch somewhere in Kampala. It’s so weird to have Anna leaving. Once she’s gone there will only be 3 other volunteers in Uganda who were here before I got here…crazy!!
Yesterday I went to work from 11am to around 5pm, I was supposed to work until 5:30, but I wasn’t feeling too well. When I got home I iced my back and one of my roommates put aloe vera on my back because it was really sore yesterday. Later that night a few roommates and myself went out for pork. It was really fun. I love going out to Ugandan places and actually experiencing their culture and eating real Ugandan food. It’s nice living the “mzungu/white life” here too at times, but I didn’t really come here for that. It’s a bit hard being sick now because I’m getting stir crazy and I’m missing the Watoto kids. I may only have a short time left with the babies here in Kampala and I want all the time with them I can. A new volunteer, Lucinda, arrived today. She’s a 22 year old from Sydney Australia and she’s such a sweetheart! I only met her briefly yesterday, but I already like her quite a bit. She shared more of her story with me today and it just made me like her more. The only bad thing is if she and I don’t get moved to the same city for the month of August I may not get to know her too well.
Our volunteer meeting, where we find out where we’re going, is on the 25th of July; I can’t believe how fast it came around, it seems like just last week was our last meeting. I’m really hoping I can go to Gulu for my last full month, but I’m also trying to be okay with the fact that I may go to another city. I’m not doing so well with being okay with that yet…but hopefully God will continue to help me with that.
Today I stayed home again because I wasn’t feeling well. I slept basically all day (other than going to the bathroom). It was pretty easy to do that because the power was out from 8am until about 8pm tonight, it came on for about a half an hour and just went off again. I have a day off tomorrow, which is good because I don’t think I’ll be feeling better by then. Tomorrow is Anna’s last day here; she leaves at midnight on Thursday so I won’t see her after that. We’re thinking about getting Ugandan donuts (mondozi) from down the street for breakfast and then going out to lunch somewhere in Kampala. It’s so weird to have Anna leaving. Once she’s gone there will only be 3 other volunteers in Uganda who were here before I got here…crazy!!
Yesterday I went to work from 11am to around 5pm, I was supposed to work until 5:30, but I wasn’t feeling too well. When I got home I iced my back and one of my roommates put aloe vera on my back because it was really sore yesterday. Later that night a few roommates and myself went out for pork. It was really fun. I love going out to Ugandan places and actually experiencing their culture and eating real Ugandan food. It’s nice living the “mzungu/white life” here too at times, but I didn’t really come here for that. It’s a bit hard being sick now because I’m getting stir crazy and I’m missing the Watoto kids. I may only have a short time left with the babies here in Kampala and I want all the time with them I can. A new volunteer, Lucinda, arrived today. She’s a 22 year old from Sydney Australia and she’s such a sweetheart! I only met her briefly yesterday, but I already like her quite a bit. She shared more of her story with me today and it just made me like her more. The only bad thing is if she and I don’t get moved to the same city for the month of August I may not get to know her too well.
Our volunteer meeting, where we find out where we’re going, is on the 25th of July; I can’t believe how fast it came around, it seems like just last week was our last meeting. I’m really hoping I can go to Gulu for my last full month, but I’m also trying to be okay with the fact that I may go to another city. I’m not doing so well with being okay with that yet…but hopefully God will continue to help me with that.
7-19-12
Last night me and a couple of my roommates rode along to take Anna to the airport. I guess technically it was this morning since we got to the airport after midnight. It seems so weird not having Anna around anymore, but tonight I got to reunite with some girls I was with in the beginning. Sarah and Alla who have been in Gulu for 3 weeks came back to Buziga tonight because they leave for home on Monday. It was SO GOOD seeing them again. We’re all actually sitting at the table on our laptops right now…it feels like it did in the first couple weeks of being here…in a good way. I’ve been sick and haven’t gone into work since Sunday. I’m feeling quite a bit better so I’m hoping I can go in to work for the afternoon shift tomorrow. Yesterday I got the second of the three Hunger Games books and I’m about halfway through already. Reading that today saved my sanity. It is SO good!! I’m thinking I’ll need to buy the third one soon.
I have been convicted lately of how little time I’ve been spending in the Word and with the Lord recently. I think the more comfortable I’m feeling in Uganda the less and less time I spend with God. It’s so counterintuitive though because the thing I wanted most in coming here (besides helping little African babies) was to grow closer to God and grow in my relationship with Him and change/mature as a person and Christian. I guess in some ways I have done those things in little ways here and there…but, I don’t know. I expected to be someone different when I get back to the States, and who am I to say I won’t be…I do still have over a month left here. But I really need to think about what I want out of my relationship with God and decide whether I want it bad enough to put in the work.
Last night me and a couple of my roommates rode along to take Anna to the airport. I guess technically it was this morning since we got to the airport after midnight. It seems so weird not having Anna around anymore, but tonight I got to reunite with some girls I was with in the beginning. Sarah and Alla who have been in Gulu for 3 weeks came back to Buziga tonight because they leave for home on Monday. It was SO GOOD seeing them again. We’re all actually sitting at the table on our laptops right now…it feels like it did in the first couple weeks of being here…in a good way. I’ve been sick and haven’t gone into work since Sunday. I’m feeling quite a bit better so I’m hoping I can go in to work for the afternoon shift tomorrow. Yesterday I got the second of the three Hunger Games books and I’m about halfway through already. Reading that today saved my sanity. It is SO good!! I’m thinking I’ll need to buy the third one soon.
I have been convicted lately of how little time I’ve been spending in the Word and with the Lord recently. I think the more comfortable I’m feeling in Uganda the less and less time I spend with God. It’s so counterintuitive though because the thing I wanted most in coming here (besides helping little African babies) was to grow closer to God and grow in my relationship with Him and change/mature as a person and Christian. I guess in some ways I have done those things in little ways here and there…but, I don’t know. I expected to be someone different when I get back to the States, and who am I to say I won’t be…I do still have over a month left here. But I really need to think about what I want out of my relationship with God and decide whether I want it bad enough to put in the work.
The Buziga Grocery Store :)
And Candice and I doing the same :)I went into work yesterday, and it was pretty good. I was in the special needs room again, I feel like that’s where I’ll be for the remainder of my time in Kampala J, but it’s ok because I do love those boys. I was getting pretty light headed near the end of the shift though so instead of leaving at 5:30 I left at 4:30. All in all it was a good day. It felt nice to get back to work and see the kids again. I do hope that I can play with some babies again eventually…for a little while I was able to help feed the youngest babies we have at the babies home. They’re so cute and tiny!! Today is one of my days off, and even though I only worked yesterday I’m glad I have today to rest and refocus. Being sick puts me in a funk and I think that if I had to work today I would still be in that funk. I had a nice quiet time this morning, and I think I’m going to continue to later today; it’s just a lot of processing and big thinking. I’m also, of course, reading my Hunder Games book too…but I’m trying to take it easy. I don’t want to read it just to finish it (which I was doing the first day I got it). I want to read it to enjoy it. Tomorrow I’m working from 8-1, and then going to church at 3, and then Monday is another day off of mine. Alla and Sarah go to the airport at 5am and I’m wondering whether I should go with them to say goodbye. I did get to know them pretty well in the beginning, but we haven’t really hung out in a month. Plus, the chances of me getting up before 5am to say goodbye isn’t that enticing. But…for the really exciting news….
I got the text today telling me I’ll be in Gulu for the month of August!!!! J J I am SO HAPPY!! Jonathan (the head of the volunteer department at Watoto) said they were confirming/checking with things with the trauma team there as well. I’m SO pumped to be going to Gulu for a couple different reasons. 1. I’ll be able to see Rebecca again because she’s staying in Gulu for August! 2. I’ll get to live in a rural area and get to know the Ugandan people there (it’s hard to get to know the people in the city). 3. I’ll get to work with the trauma rehab team!! I’m not sure when I leave yet, to be honest I probably won’t find out when I leave until after our meeting on Wednesday…I’ll probably get a one or two day notice J. It’s a 5ish hour ride to Gulu, but it’ll be nice in terms of going on safari because I won’t have to travel so far (the safari is pretty close to Gulu and I may not have to pay as much for transportation). Part of me was really scared/nervous I wouldn’t be going to Gulu next month, I was really trying to prepare myself for seeing Suubi or Kampala in my text from Jonathan this morning. Ah! I’m so blessed and I don’t know why. Well I know it’s because of God’s amazing love, but I don’t get His love a lot of the time. I guess that’s normal for a finite person trying to understand an infinite God J. I just can’t believe He’s given me the chance to go to Gulu and do all the things there I’ve wanted to even though I’ve spent very little time with Him and reading His Word over the past few weeks. It always makes me feel guilty when He blesses me even when I don’t deserve it. But that just reminds me that I don’t deserve it, I didn’t do anything to earn it, and I’m not going to be able to repay Him for everything He’s done. Blessing like this that He gives me are meant to remind me of how much He loves me and provides for me in all circumstances, not just when I do what He wants me to. It does make me want to be better though in a way, you know? I’m not even sure if that’s wrong or right or whatever. But His steadfast love in the midst of my indifference towards Him makes me want to love Him better.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
My Boys In The Special Needs Room
I'm finally able to put videos and pictues up, so I'm going to be overloading you with some :) Hope you enjoy!!
The picture is of Justin, isn't he amazing!! And the video is one I took a little while ago of a couple of the boys.
Buziga House Tour
Over One Month In Uganda!
7-9-12
Today I found out that Justin is most likely having seizures when he tenses up every couple minutes. There are 3 nurses living in the Buziga house with me, so finding out what may be going on with Justin wasn’t too difficult. It made me feel a little better knowing that even if he were in the States there isn’t much more we could do for him to help alleviate his pain. But my heart still breaks and I feel sick when I think about the pain he has to go through constantly day after day. I don’t understand what the point is. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be learning from this; I don’t get what God is trying to teach me/show me…I’m just angry at and confused as to why these babies (and tons of babies around the world) have to go through such pain. I had a quiet time early this morning, about an hour or so ago, and I read some Scripture, journaled, and prayed a bit. I read psalm 40, and the first line talks about waiting patiently for the Lord. I’m not very good at that. I want to know what the reason is for these children suffering right now, I want to know what I’m supposed to learn from this now. I prayed that God would help me learn to wait patiently on Him because I know I can’t do it myself (I’ve tried, and failed, many times).
I feel like I’m finding out who I really am on this trip. I’ve realized it’s hard for me to tell who I really am and who people expect me to be. I don’t know if who I am and who people expect me to be are the same person or if I’ve just figured out how to live seamlessly, simultaneously as the two. Maybe I’m just emotional and over-analyzing everything (wouldn’t be the first time). But I feel like I’m discovering new things about myself through being here. This morning I prayed God would let me experience emotion, not just experience, but express. I feel emotion, quite intensely at times, but I very rarely show it or talk about it. I don’t share my emotions because, well, that means being vulnerable and open with people—meaning I’d be open to rejection and ridicule. But the side I often don’t see is that being vulnerable with people allows us to connect on such a deeper level, it allows me to go through things with someone. Plus, God gave us emotions for a reason. Stifling or pushing down emotions (good or bad) probably isn’t the healthiest thing to do.
Today I found out that Justin is most likely having seizures when he tenses up every couple minutes. There are 3 nurses living in the Buziga house with me, so finding out what may be going on with Justin wasn’t too difficult. It made me feel a little better knowing that even if he were in the States there isn’t much more we could do for him to help alleviate his pain. But my heart still breaks and I feel sick when I think about the pain he has to go through constantly day after day. I don’t understand what the point is. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be learning from this; I don’t get what God is trying to teach me/show me…I’m just angry at and confused as to why these babies (and tons of babies around the world) have to go through such pain. I had a quiet time early this morning, about an hour or so ago, and I read some Scripture, journaled, and prayed a bit. I read psalm 40, and the first line talks about waiting patiently for the Lord. I’m not very good at that. I want to know what the reason is for these children suffering right now, I want to know what I’m supposed to learn from this now. I prayed that God would help me learn to wait patiently on Him because I know I can’t do it myself (I’ve tried, and failed, many times).
I feel like I’m finding out who I really am on this trip. I’ve realized it’s hard for me to tell who I really am and who people expect me to be. I don’t know if who I am and who people expect me to be are the same person or if I’ve just figured out how to live seamlessly, simultaneously as the two. Maybe I’m just emotional and over-analyzing everything (wouldn’t be the first time). But I feel like I’m discovering new things about myself through being here. This morning I prayed God would let me experience emotion, not just experience, but express. I feel emotion, quite intensely at times, but I very rarely show it or talk about it. I don’t share my emotions because, well, that means being vulnerable and open with people—meaning I’d be open to rejection and ridicule. But the side I often don’t see is that being vulnerable with people allows us to connect on such a deeper level, it allows me to go through things with someone. Plus, God gave us emotions for a reason. Stifling or pushing down emotions (good or bad) probably isn’t the healthiest thing to do.
7-11-12
Yesterday was the three year anniversary of the night I became a Christian. I never wouldn’t have guessed then that three years from that night I would be in Uganda living out my dream; God is good! I feel like I haven’t mentioned Cara and Candice much yet, they are sisters from Mississippi. Cara is going into her senior year of high school and Candice is going into her last year of college to get her nursing degree. These two have been SO sweet, generous and kind the past couple weeks they’ve been in Buziga. They’ve been in Uganda for a little over a month, but have only been in Buziga for a couple of weeks. Not only do they encapsulate Southern Hospitality, but they are some of the most generous people I’ve even met. They’ve paid for me when we’ve ridden on the matatus together so many times I can’t even count it anymore, and they’ve even bought lunch for me when we’ve gone out to lunch a couple of times. They’ve been such a blessing and have also showed me what living generously looks like. I thought I was a pretty generous person, but after spending a few weeks with these girls I realize how skimpy my “generosity” really is.
I’m not putting myself down or anything, I’m actually extremely happy to be learning this. I feel like I didn’t love people quite as well as I could have with my type of generosity, but the way Cara and Candice blessed me with their kindness made me feel WAY more loved than I would have thought. It felt (and still feels) very weird to accept their generosity and not feel like I have to pay them back. But that’s what a gift is, isn’t it—it’s something you give with no expectation of getting something back. I feel like many times when I’m generous with whatever, I feel like I’ve kept track of things I’ve given them or given up for them and have a tally of what they owe me. If I do that my “gifts” aren’t coming from a loving place at all. Doing something nice for someone to get something nice back in return isn’t generous at all, in fact it’s pretty darn selfish. I love learning these things about myself. Yeah it makes me feel gross and ridiculous for some of the ways I think/act…but they give me such amazing opportunities to grow!
The special needs room and I are getting along much better as well. The Lord has just given me a real sense of peace about the boys’ situations in that room. He’s also shown me that it’s okay to not be in the special needs room every day. I felt like I had to be in there to make sure the boys were all taken care of properly, but the fact of the matter is that those boys were in there before I got there and they’ll be there when I leave so I need to get okay with not being with them each day I’m at work. I’ve been working a little in the “Monkey Room” the past couple of days (honestly it’s only been for bits at a time before I sneak back and go to my boys again, but I’m working on it) J. But the Monkey Room is where the youngest babies are and OH.MY.GOSH. are they ADORABLE!! When they smile with their toothless gums I just about lose it! I think toothless smiles (on a baby) are in the top 5 of the cutest things on the earth. It’s crazy to think that in high school and even the first year or two of college I didn’t really understand or like young kids very much; late middle school and high school age was about all I could tolerate, and now I LOVE babies. Not even just babies, toddlers, and pre-k kids.
I bought a lot of souvenirs on Monday in Kampala and today as well at a market called “Owino”. I don’t know what it means, but I know we needed to have our roommate Mitch there to feel safe…and to get good prices. This market was HUGE and had just about anything and everything you could want. I got my brother’s souvenir and a black Ugandan soccer jersey for me, and a pair of running shoes for when I get back home (they were equivalent to around $14US!) In other parts of Kampala on Monday I got my sisters souvenir, a postcard for my cousin Sandy, and gifts for my friends Kyah, Sarina, and Amanda. There are a few things I want to add to my friends gifts, and gifts for my parents and grandparents, but other than that I’m all done souvenir shopping…and under budget I might add J.
Yesterday was the three year anniversary of the night I became a Christian. I never wouldn’t have guessed then that three years from that night I would be in Uganda living out my dream; God is good! I feel like I haven’t mentioned Cara and Candice much yet, they are sisters from Mississippi. Cara is going into her senior year of high school and Candice is going into her last year of college to get her nursing degree. These two have been SO sweet, generous and kind the past couple weeks they’ve been in Buziga. They’ve been in Uganda for a little over a month, but have only been in Buziga for a couple of weeks. Not only do they encapsulate Southern Hospitality, but they are some of the most generous people I’ve even met. They’ve paid for me when we’ve ridden on the matatus together so many times I can’t even count it anymore, and they’ve even bought lunch for me when we’ve gone out to lunch a couple of times. They’ve been such a blessing and have also showed me what living generously looks like. I thought I was a pretty generous person, but after spending a few weeks with these girls I realize how skimpy my “generosity” really is.
I’m not putting myself down or anything, I’m actually extremely happy to be learning this. I feel like I didn’t love people quite as well as I could have with my type of generosity, but the way Cara and Candice blessed me with their kindness made me feel WAY more loved than I would have thought. It felt (and still feels) very weird to accept their generosity and not feel like I have to pay them back. But that’s what a gift is, isn’t it—it’s something you give with no expectation of getting something back. I feel like many times when I’m generous with whatever, I feel like I’ve kept track of things I’ve given them or given up for them and have a tally of what they owe me. If I do that my “gifts” aren’t coming from a loving place at all. Doing something nice for someone to get something nice back in return isn’t generous at all, in fact it’s pretty darn selfish. I love learning these things about myself. Yeah it makes me feel gross and ridiculous for some of the ways I think/act…but they give me such amazing opportunities to grow!
The special needs room and I are getting along much better as well. The Lord has just given me a real sense of peace about the boys’ situations in that room. He’s also shown me that it’s okay to not be in the special needs room every day. I felt like I had to be in there to make sure the boys were all taken care of properly, but the fact of the matter is that those boys were in there before I got there and they’ll be there when I leave so I need to get okay with not being with them each day I’m at work. I’ve been working a little in the “Monkey Room” the past couple of days (honestly it’s only been for bits at a time before I sneak back and go to my boys again, but I’m working on it) J. But the Monkey Room is where the youngest babies are and OH.MY.GOSH. are they ADORABLE!! When they smile with their toothless gums I just about lose it! I think toothless smiles (on a baby) are in the top 5 of the cutest things on the earth. It’s crazy to think that in high school and even the first year or two of college I didn’t really understand or like young kids very much; late middle school and high school age was about all I could tolerate, and now I LOVE babies. Not even just babies, toddlers, and pre-k kids.
I bought a lot of souvenirs on Monday in Kampala and today as well at a market called “Owino”. I don’t know what it means, but I know we needed to have our roommate Mitch there to feel safe…and to get good prices. This market was HUGE and had just about anything and everything you could want. I got my brother’s souvenir and a black Ugandan soccer jersey for me, and a pair of running shoes for when I get back home (they were equivalent to around $14US!) In other parts of Kampala on Monday I got my sisters souvenir, a postcard for my cousin Sandy, and gifts for my friends Kyah, Sarina, and Amanda. There are a few things I want to add to my friends gifts, and gifts for my parents and grandparents, but other than that I’m all done souvenir shopping…and under budget I might add J.
Cara, Anna, and Me
Rosemary, Marie-Louise, Annette, Anna, and Candice
7-13-12
Today was a really good day again, it went by very quickly. I worked with my special needs boys again, but I think next week I’m going to try and switch it up more and work in other rooms as well. Today Cara and Candice left at 5:30. It’s so weird that they’re gone already, and this coming Wednesday Anna will be gone too! And then Anna, Rosemary, and Annette will be gone on safari from Friday-Sunday…I’ll basically be on my own over the weekend which has good and bad points to it. I just brought down my Bible and a few other things in order to have a quiet time tonight, and in my Bible Cara and Candice left me a surprise. This morning I left them a simple note because I wasn’t sure I’d be back from work before they were picked up to go to the airport, and they gave me a sweet note and 130 some Ugandan Shillings!! Those girls are TOO good to me! I really hope I can meet up with them sometime in the States, that would be interesting…hanging out with people in America that I’ve only known and interacted with in Africa. I’m quite sad that so many people are leaving, and I can’t believe that it’s already nearly midway through July!! Where has the time gone?!
I’ve been recently thinking of the things I need to do once I get back home, and it’s a little anxiety provoking. I need to do the following:
1. Apply for jobs
2. Process my trip, what God has taught me over the past three months
3. Find out what I want to do in graduate school
4. Apply to graduate school
-remind my professors about recommendation letters 1 month before deadline
-update resume
-write my academic vita
5. Create a budget for the year
6. Create payment plan for school loans
and I’m sure there are other things I should do as well, but I can’t think of them at the moment. Tomorrow is mine and Anna’s day off and we’re thinking of going to Cassia Lodge and lay out in the sun—I’m still as white as ever! I’m debating whether or not I want to take Wednesday off instead of Monday so that I could go to the airport with Anna to say goodbye next week…I probably will.
Last night Annette, Rosemary, and Anna made the house tacos, they were SO good, and they also bought ice cream for dessert and made a really good chocolate sauce to go over it. After that we went out to the backyard, made a bonfire and made s’mores. I was out there for a couple of hours, but by the time 10:30 rolled around I had to get to bed. I must have had 10 s’mores that night, plus a few more roasted/burned marshmallows separately. It was such a fun night!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Fantasticness and Frustrations in Uganda
7-1-12
I think today was a turning point for me; at least it felt that way. I realized it when I was watching The Vampire Diaries in the living room (don’t judge me, there’s very limited TV choices in Uganda). Anyway, this morning I took a “mental health day”. Instead of going into town with the rest of my roommates and going to church and then to work I decided to take the day off—on the schedule today and tomorrow are actually supposed to be my days of anyway, but as of last night I was planning on going in today. But anyway, back to the point. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go to church and hear the message, but God provided a message for me to hear! There’s a channel in Uganda that plays Christian shows and sermons sometimes, and this morning when I got up a pastor named Joseph Prince was on. I had watched him once before a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. His message today was exactly what I needed. He was talking about God’s finished work, and he was referencing a lot from the book of Hebrews. I didn’t have my journal with me while I was watching the sermon, but I journaled about 5 pages of things I remembered afterwards. There were several take-aways I got from this morning that I journaled about and I’m going to touch on them in this blog.
1. Do you fight for victory or from victory?
I think today was a turning point for me; at least it felt that way. I realized it when I was watching The Vampire Diaries in the living room (don’t judge me, there’s very limited TV choices in Uganda). Anyway, this morning I took a “mental health day”. Instead of going into town with the rest of my roommates and going to church and then to work I decided to take the day off—on the schedule today and tomorrow are actually supposed to be my days of anyway, but as of last night I was planning on going in today. But anyway, back to the point. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go to church and hear the message, but God provided a message for me to hear! There’s a channel in Uganda that plays Christian shows and sermons sometimes, and this morning when I got up a pastor named Joseph Prince was on. I had watched him once before a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. His message today was exactly what I needed. He was talking about God’s finished work, and he was referencing a lot from the book of Hebrews. I didn’t have my journal with me while I was watching the sermon, but I journaled about 5 pages of things I remembered afterwards. There were several take-aways I got from this morning that I journaled about and I’m going to touch on them in this blog.
1. Do you fight for victory or from victory?
If we fight for victory we will lose. If we do this we aren’t
believing that Christ already won the victory for us when He died on the cross.
If we live from victor, believing in Christ’s victory, our attitude and lives
will look different. We’re called to live like we have victory through Christ
(because we do)—we need to trust and really believe this truth and live it out.
We don’t need to put human effort into it.
2. Have a “throne attitude”
2. Have a “throne attitude”
The Bible says that Jesus sits at
the right hand of The Father and waits for His enemies to become His footstool.
He sits because His work is finished. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t have
enemies, but He knows He has victory over all of His enemies and all He has to
do is wait for them to come under His feet. We are called to have this same
attitude. When we feel attacked we must trust and believe the truth that we
(who are children of God) are seated with Christ—that since we’ve accepted
Christ into our hearts and He is in us we have victory (because Christ has
victory), and our enemies will become out footstool. If we have an attitude of
victory in times of attack or trial things seem…less hopeless.
3. We don’t need to fight Satan because he’s already defeated
3. We don’t need to fight Satan because he’s already defeated
When we hear/feel Satan saying
“come on, fight with me. If you think you and your God can win why don’t you
prove it” our response shouldn’t be “Okay, I’ll show you how strong God is”.
Our response should be, “Why? You are already defeated.” (then walk away in a cool,
Fonzy-type way). We don’t need to fight or prove anything to Satan—the battle
is already won. Jesus Christ defeated him, and Christ is in us.
4. Believe in God’s finished work
4. Believe in God’s finished work
The word “flesh” is the Bible
usually refers to human effort. God is not pleased with the flesh in these
terms. Our effort is useless. We need to live in belief/rest, not
unbelief/unrest. I need to believe that God is working on the hearts of loved
ones, and treat them as if God has already fulfilled my prayers for them. I
need to believe in His provisions for finances, and live as if my debt (yeah
students loans) is paid—because it is, He sees the provision already. I need to
believe that He is working on/changing my heart and live as a new creation.
5. Sow seeds
5. Sow seeds
We harvest what we sow. If we don’t
like the harvest we have now, we need to sow different seeds. When we are
jealous of other peoples’ harvests we forget that we’re not seeing the sowing
they did, we’re only seeing the results of it. We must sow the seeds that we
want to harvest.
6. We’re still righteous even when we sin
6. We’re still righteous even when we sin
Just because we follow Christ
doesn’t mean we don’t ever sin again. But even when we sin we are still
righteous, and God still sees us as righteous. To use an analogy—we went from
caterpillars to butterflies when God called us to Him, when we sin we don’t
turn back into caterpillars—salvation and the transformation that goes along
with it is a one-time thing. The more we realize we are righteous in the sight
of God even when we sin, the less we want to sin. We must confess and repent,
yes, but we must also move on from that sin and lean in on God and ask/trust
Him to help us and change us, believing that we have victory over that area of
sin through Christ. Since we have victory over sin we are no longer slaves to
sin—so we should live a life in accordance with that.
Some of you may not understand a lot of that, or it might
just seem really crazy, but that’s ok. I was hoping for a great message today
and I got one. I feel like I have a renewed perspective on life, I feel
refreshed and energized. I feel whole and solid, like I was missing a few
screws or something. This morning I read the first chapter in Colossians, and
verse 17 says, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” It’s nice knowing that
Jesus is holding me together and keeping me whole and solid—it’s a good
feeling.
I just got done talking with my parents on the phone. It’s so nice being able to talk with them for a little while to get caught up on life and catch them up with my life here. It’s been nearly a month since I’ve been in Uganda, which seems so crazy. Only two months left to go…I wonder how fast that’s going to fly by. But for now I’m just going to live one day at a time and savor each moment I have left in Uganda. I just found out that tomorrow a bunch of my toddlers are going to be moved to a different babies home in Suubi—I’m debating whether or not I should go in tomorrow to say goodbye to them.
I just got done talking with my parents on the phone. It’s so nice being able to talk with them for a little while to get caught up on life and catch them up with my life here. It’s been nearly a month since I’ve been in Uganda, which seems so crazy. Only two months left to go…I wonder how fast that’s going to fly by. But for now I’m just going to live one day at a time and savor each moment I have left in Uganda. I just found out that tomorrow a bunch of my toddlers are going to be moved to a different babies home in Suubi—I’m debating whether or not I should go in tomorrow to say goodbye to them.
7-3-12
Yesterday I did go to Suubi with the toddlers to say goodbye. It was pretty hard saying goodbye to my little girl Sonia…she’s the cutest most nearly perfect baby on this planet. I fell in love with her about a week ago, and it was hard having to give her to one of the Suubi nannies and walk away, not knowing if I’d ever see her again. Now that all the toddlers are gone now, however, it does give me a chance to fall in love with some other babies in Kampala…actually I took care of one today that was around 3 months old that melted my heart. I can’t remember her name at the moment, but she is ADORABLE!! We’ve also gotten a few new roommates in the past couple of days. Candice and Cara are sisters from Missisippi, Cara is going into her senior year of high school and Candice with be starting her second year in college. Anna and Rosemary are a mother daughter duo from New Zealand, Anna is 23 and it’s their first time in Africa. Raphael is going into his junior year of high school, and him and his sister (Camila) are originally from Bolivia, but moved to the states 6 years ago. And last but not least, Annette—a married woman with 4 grown children who is also from New Zealand. It’s cool to have such a wide range of people from such different backgrounds; I really get to learn a lot from them. Anna is still here too of course, which is really great. I like having a bit of consistency here in Uganda. Tonight for dinner Rosemary, Anna and Annette made beans on toast. I’ve decided that I need to try that once I get back in the States. It’s just a piece or two of toast with baked beans on it, and then you sprinkle shredded cheese on top…sounds pretty good to me. I’ve also started getting cravings for American food I usually never eat back home, mainly corndogs. I have no idea why, but a corndog sounds SO good right now. Maybe it’s because tomorrow is the 4th of July, I don’t know. I’m a bit sad that I won’t be seeing any fireworks tomorrow, but when I get home maybe I’ll have to buy sparklers or something to make up for it. Later this week I’m going to e-mail the head of the volunteers department at Watoto and request to be moved to Gulu for the month of August, I’d really like to start working with the child soldiers sometime soon! I’ve also started looking at safaris to do in Uganda. Another volunteer (Rebecca) and I were thinking of doing one in August, I just don’t know if I’ll have enough money or not. I would LOVE to do one, but we’ll see how much money I have left once August rolls around; I have over $600US right now so hopefully that will be enough. If not, well I guess living out my dream of helping little African babies will do J
Yesterday I did go to Suubi with the toddlers to say goodbye. It was pretty hard saying goodbye to my little girl Sonia…she’s the cutest most nearly perfect baby on this planet. I fell in love with her about a week ago, and it was hard having to give her to one of the Suubi nannies and walk away, not knowing if I’d ever see her again. Now that all the toddlers are gone now, however, it does give me a chance to fall in love with some other babies in Kampala…actually I took care of one today that was around 3 months old that melted my heart. I can’t remember her name at the moment, but she is ADORABLE!! We’ve also gotten a few new roommates in the past couple of days. Candice and Cara are sisters from Missisippi, Cara is going into her senior year of high school and Candice with be starting her second year in college. Anna and Rosemary are a mother daughter duo from New Zealand, Anna is 23 and it’s their first time in Africa. Raphael is going into his junior year of high school, and him and his sister (Camila) are originally from Bolivia, but moved to the states 6 years ago. And last but not least, Annette—a married woman with 4 grown children who is also from New Zealand. It’s cool to have such a wide range of people from such different backgrounds; I really get to learn a lot from them. Anna is still here too of course, which is really great. I like having a bit of consistency here in Uganda. Tonight for dinner Rosemary, Anna and Annette made beans on toast. I’ve decided that I need to try that once I get back in the States. It’s just a piece or two of toast with baked beans on it, and then you sprinkle shredded cheese on top…sounds pretty good to me. I’ve also started getting cravings for American food I usually never eat back home, mainly corndogs. I have no idea why, but a corndog sounds SO good right now. Maybe it’s because tomorrow is the 4th of July, I don’t know. I’m a bit sad that I won’t be seeing any fireworks tomorrow, but when I get home maybe I’ll have to buy sparklers or something to make up for it. Later this week I’m going to e-mail the head of the volunteers department at Watoto and request to be moved to Gulu for the month of August, I’d really like to start working with the child soldiers sometime soon! I’ve also started looking at safaris to do in Uganda. Another volunteer (Rebecca) and I were thinking of doing one in August, I just don’t know if I’ll have enough money or not. I would LOVE to do one, but we’ll see how much money I have left once August rolls around; I have over $600US right now so hopefully that will be enough. If not, well I guess living out my dream of helping little African babies will do J
7-6-12
Yesterday was my day off, and it was much needed. I didn’t do anything really, it was fantastic! And tomorrow I have another day off…sweet! I’ll probably do laundry and update my blog and add photos, and probably do the video of the tour of the house. Today Anna and I left work after lunch to go do some shopping downtown. We looked at clothes and souvenirs and also bought quite a few movies. The movies here are all bootlegged, and they’re SUPER cheap; Anna got all 7 seasons of How I Met Your Mother for less than $4US! I bought a couple as well, and we’re probably going to have a movie night tonight.
Today I worked with the special needs room again; they’re stealing my heart, in a good way J. There aren’t a lot of babies in there, but all the ones that are in there are boys and I love them. I think God is really giving me a heart and a passion for the kids with special needs here; I never was really interested or felt confident working with kids with special needs before, but I really enjoy hanging out with them here. I think part of my heart for them comes from how I see them being treated at Watoto; compared with the other babies in the facility I feel like the kids with special needs are often times seen as a burden even though I’ve never heard anyone say that or act negatively towards them. They don’t ever get toys to play with, and people rarely just sit and talk with them. I changed that today—I brought them toys to stimulate them and to give them something to do rather than sit around looking at the walls, and I just sat and talked and played with them. Their faces lit up and it made my heart happy to see the smiles on their faces and the ways their eyes had life in them.
There are five boys total in the special needs room at the moment, and 3 in particular have melted my heart: Elisha, Christian, and Justin. Elisha has a seizure disorder and cerebral palsy, Christian isn’t able to eat via mouth without choking so he has a feeding tube (like all the babies with special needs) and he hasn’t been gaining weight and no one can figure out why, and Justin…I’m not quite sure what Justin’s issues are, but I think he has a shunt in his head for some reason, but the good news is he has been putting on weight recently. A lot of the babies with special needs experience pain throughout the day for one reason or another, and it just breaks my heart to see that and not being able to do anything to help. Today during nap time Justin kept tensing his whole body and crying because of pain (I’m not sure if it was gas or something to do with the shunt) but I just stood by his crib, held his little hand and stroked his hand and his forehead until he dozed off. He kept waking up on and off after that from the pain and cried for a little while. It’s so frustrating at times seeing those babies and thinking about the kind of care/treatment they would be given in a Western country, but knowing that they will most likely be in Uganda for their entire lives with inferior care. I recently found out that even though Watoto babies are not allowed to be adopted, Watoto is open to the idea of the babies with special needs being adopted so that they can obtain proper care and treatment. I’m considering how difficult it would be to bring Justin home with me…hmm J. I just wish there was something I could do to help them and make their situation better; I’ve been SO blessed in my life, I feel guilty for having it so easy while these poor little babies struggle every day.
7-7-12Yesterday was my day off, and it was much needed. I didn’t do anything really, it was fantastic! And tomorrow I have another day off…sweet! I’ll probably do laundry and update my blog and add photos, and probably do the video of the tour of the house. Today Anna and I left work after lunch to go do some shopping downtown. We looked at clothes and souvenirs and also bought quite a few movies. The movies here are all bootlegged, and they’re SUPER cheap; Anna got all 7 seasons of How I Met Your Mother for less than $4US! I bought a couple as well, and we’re probably going to have a movie night tonight.
Today I worked with the special needs room again; they’re stealing my heart, in a good way J. There aren’t a lot of babies in there, but all the ones that are in there are boys and I love them. I think God is really giving me a heart and a passion for the kids with special needs here; I never was really interested or felt confident working with kids with special needs before, but I really enjoy hanging out with them here. I think part of my heart for them comes from how I see them being treated at Watoto; compared with the other babies in the facility I feel like the kids with special needs are often times seen as a burden even though I’ve never heard anyone say that or act negatively towards them. They don’t ever get toys to play with, and people rarely just sit and talk with them. I changed that today—I brought them toys to stimulate them and to give them something to do rather than sit around looking at the walls, and I just sat and talked and played with them. Their faces lit up and it made my heart happy to see the smiles on their faces and the ways their eyes had life in them.
There are five boys total in the special needs room at the moment, and 3 in particular have melted my heart: Elisha, Christian, and Justin. Elisha has a seizure disorder and cerebral palsy, Christian isn’t able to eat via mouth without choking so he has a feeding tube (like all the babies with special needs) and he hasn’t been gaining weight and no one can figure out why, and Justin…I’m not quite sure what Justin’s issues are, but I think he has a shunt in his head for some reason, but the good news is he has been putting on weight recently. A lot of the babies with special needs experience pain throughout the day for one reason or another, and it just breaks my heart to see that and not being able to do anything to help. Today during nap time Justin kept tensing his whole body and crying because of pain (I’m not sure if it was gas or something to do with the shunt) but I just stood by his crib, held his little hand and stroked his hand and his forehead until he dozed off. He kept waking up on and off after that from the pain and cried for a little while. It’s so frustrating at times seeing those babies and thinking about the kind of care/treatment they would be given in a Western country, but knowing that they will most likely be in Uganda for their entire lives with inferior care. I recently found out that even though Watoto babies are not allowed to be adopted, Watoto is open to the idea of the babies with special needs being adopted so that they can obtain proper care and treatment. I’m considering how difficult it would be to bring Justin home with me…hmm J. I just wish there was something I could do to help them and make their situation better; I’ve been SO blessed in my life, I feel guilty for having it so easy while these poor little babies struggle every day.
Today I tried to upload the video tour of the Buziga house to my blog, but after over 3 hours of waiting it still wasn’t loaded, so I decided to skip it for now. Photos have also been taking a long time to load and I’m not really sure why. It may be because my internet time is so low, but I’m not really sure, so I may just wait until I refill my internet stick before I add anymore photos or videos.
Today was quite a productive yet relaxing day. I washed my bedding and towel, and also did a load of dish towels. I cleaned up a bit around the house (because I knew I’d be taking a video of it later on). I also got some groceries and even had time to watch a movie and have a quiet time on the balcony. It was a good day. Oh and I made a budget for the rest of my time here in Uganda. I’ve budgeted my money for filling my internet and phone, food, souvenirs, transportation, and miscellaneous things, I even budgeted a safari trip in there, but I’m not 100% sure I’m going to do that yet even though I really want to. Tomorrow I, Cara, and Candice are going in the early shift for work tomorrow (7-1), it’s a half day on the weekends. Then we’re going to stop at SOHO, a restaurant near the Babies Home, and then head to church at 3pm. It should be a pretty long day, but since Monday I have ANOTHER day off I don’t really mind J.
I sent Jonathan (the head of the Watoto volunteer department) an e-mail the other day expressing my interest in going to Gulu and why I want to go. Hopefully I’ll be able to be in Gulu my last month, the girls that moved there from here just a couple weeks ago have nothing but good things to say about it. But I ultimately need to be prepared for going somewhere other than Gulu, even for the possibility of staying in Kampala. I need to remember that no matter what I want God’s plan for me may not be exactly what I want. I can’t believe I’m been in Uganda for a whole month (actually one month and 2 days if I’m getting technical). Time here is flying by, so much more now that I’m more comfortable being here in Uganda. I’m trying not to think too much about the time I have left or what it’s going to be like once I get home, or all the things I have to do once I get back to the States. I really want to focus on my time here, one day and moment at a time.
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