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 3^rd 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 25^th 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.

The Buziga Grocery Store :)

Anna, me and Cara in Kampala

Cara and I eating ice cream sundaes!!!

And Candice and I doing the same :)

7-21-12
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.