She remembered my name

A year and a half ago I stayed with a family in rural Uganda.  The experience was amazing and I have 80 pages written in my journal to testify to that fact. After my time with them, I left knowing that I may never see them again.  I remember writing in my journal about the hope of heaven and being excited that at least on the far side of the grave I could see them again.

A year and a half later, I find myself again in rural Uganda, working as the program assistant for the Uganda Studies Program.  The second morning of rural homestays we dropped our students off and I got to go to my family's compound --I got to visit where I thought I might never be able to visit again.  I wore the same clothes as I did a year and a half ago hoping perhaps that would help Toto (momma) remember me.  Toto Helen has hosted many students over the years --many white girls with strange names and so I was careful not to have my hopes too high.  I decided that it was fine even if she didn't remember me at all. 

       

Jenna, the student who stayed with Toto Helen this semester (pictured in blue below) got out of the bus first.  Toto greeted her warmly with a huge hug and a beautiful, genuine smile.  Jenna told her that a surprise was coming.  I got out of the bus nervous and excited and knelt, with both knees in the dust, to greet her.  She looked in my face and said, "Anna?!" pulled me up off the ground and hugged and kissed me not too unlike the Father hugged and kissed the prodigal son, I would imagine. 

          

Toto called my brother Sam over and we all stood and hugged and hugged and proclaimed words and sounds of thanksgiving, disbelief and joy.  I wept and laughed and Toto just hugged me some more.  

           

Reunion is one of the most beautiful things in all the world and this day I tasted, however slight, what the heavenly reunion may be like. We will be reunited with those we love and most of all, reunited with our Savior.  What a glorious day that will be.  

                          

Its been awhile...

I've been in Uganda for 7 weeks now and haven't put up a single post. Sorry.  Here's a snapshot of life so far...

1. I've started work.
This one-year position is very similar to being an RA of a floor or someone in charge of resident life.  If I had to tell someone the specific details of my job I would say that I spend my days planning events, creating spreadsheets, introducing students to jack fruit and making doctor's visits, but really those are just the Xs and Os of this position.  Here's how I really think of this job:  I get to spend a year abroad with some of the coolest Christian college students from around the country.  I get to give back to a program that was influential to my college experience, my spiritual walk and my life in general.

Here are the students...

   but here they are for real...    



2. I've reconnected with my host family.
My position at the University is my main priority while I'm here, but the biggest personal blessing of my time abroad is having the chance to reconnect with my host family.  I've had the privilege of meeting the baby boy that was born after my return to the States and have enjoyed interacting with the baby girl (now a walking and talking toddler) that was born during my semester abroad.  The family and I have had many wonderful 'un-photographed' moments, but just so you can take a small peek at their faces, here is an afternoon of bubble-blowing fun. :)

3. I've traveled to Rwanda. 

There is so much that could be said about this trip, so I decided to let a blog post that I created for the program speak for itself.  If you would like to read more check out this link...

http://ugandastudiesprogram.blogspot.com/2013/09/rwanda.html

4. I've formed new relationships and reconnected with old friends. 

I work with an incredible staff and I especially enjoy working with the two other program assistants, Ashton and Innocent.  I've joined the club volleyball team at UCU and am continually blessed by this group of women.  This year, instead of staying with a host family I am living on campus and so I've had the privilege of connecting with many Ugandans my age...

5. I've rediscovered the joy of...

- jack fruit 

- washing my clothes by hand

- braided hair

- milk tea and chapati

- Ugandan humor

- dancing in worship

- writing and receiving hand-written letters

- the bird call that sounds like someone is laughing 

-monkeys

In general, all is going very well.  I am happy, healthy and thankful for all of you.  Thank you for your prayers and love...you are such an encouragement to me.  May the peace of Christ be with you. 

Headed Back

                                                      Headed Back to Uganda in 2 days! 

The USP Gang

When I thought of spending a semester in Uganda with a Ugandan family I didn't think about how I would have the chance to form relationships with other American students.  I have been extremely blessed to journey alongside these amazing Godly students this past semester.  They have challenged me, loved me, laughed with me and taught me about Jesus and the ways of his kingdom. 

I'm so thankful for all of you. 

Bottom:  Amanda (the bringer of smiles- a lover of life), Elizabeth (the anthropologist- lover of cultures/peoples), Meredith (my childhood friend- one I feel free to adventure with)

Middle:  Abigail (one who listened to all my heart wonderings and shared hers with me) 

Top:  Reina (the political activist- the passionate justice bringer)

The awesome backpacking crew! We hiked Mt. Elgon together.  

Well, some of us are still on the ground and yes, Ashton has her head between her knees, but I still like the picture :)

The rafting crew!

Singing in Chapel at Uganda Christian University

Getting hyped for bungee jumping

Not quite everybody...but pretty close... 30 out of 43 of us.

I love you guys...thanks for making this semester incredible.

FOOD!!

A lot of people have asked me about food here, so I thought I would throw up a couple pictures so that you have an idea of what has been filling my stomach for the past 3 months. 

This is certainly the picture to start with.  There will be a variety of foods shown in the pictures to follow, but I can always count on eating rice, beans, posho (the white stuff pictured here...essentially tasteless and nutritionless, but filling) or matoke (cooked bananas that taste similar to mashed potatoes).

Here is an example of matoke with simsim sauce (prepared on my rural homestay) and a small piece of beef in the bottom left corner.  Simsim is a seed that can be eaten by itself as a side for a cup of tea or mashed into a sauce.

Cassava (a major food source for my rural homestay family) is grown, dried, stored and cooked for a variety of dishes.  These pieces can also be ground into flour to make a food called millet (their bread substitute and also used in porridge or the local beer).

Beans and cassava

Uganda has a lot of different types of bananas including these small, sweet bananas.

Uganda has some delicious fruits...this papaya (called popo) was grown at the home of my rural homestay family.  One morning I saw two monkeys stealing one of the papayas!

This giant fruit is called Jack fruit...my second favorite after pineapple.  Its yellow and full of seeds.

This is roasted maiz (corn)- a common Ugandan snack.

Auntie frying chapti, arguably the most common Ugandan snack.  Used for a variety of foods including a wrap with a fried egg, tomato and onions (called a rolex) one of my favorites.

Sugar cane is also eaten as a snack here.  You bite into the stick on the left and suck all the sugary water out.  When you have finished it looks like the stick on the right which you throw away.

Maria preparing traditional greens.  They have a pretty strong bitter taste...I'm not a huge fan of these.

Any guesses on this food?  I wasn't sure either...:) These are cow intestines.

These little fishies are put in a sauce and served over matoke, posho, or noodles.

A meal of chicken, rice, greens and tilapia.  A meal served on our trip to Jinja.

A special meal prepared by one of our American professors.  Chapti with beans, eggs and guacamole.  Pineapple, apples, coffee cake and and fresh fruit juice.

A new arrival...

When I arrived in Uganda I met very pregnant Harriet who told me that the baby would be born sometime during my stay. At the end of January Harriet began to feel labor pains. Having already given birth to two daughters, the family assumed that Harriet knew that the baby was coming. They stayed at the hospital for a few days and then returned home. The doctor told her to come back in a week. When the labor pains did not return in a week Harriet decided not to go to the hospital. It ended up being another month before she would return. The picture below shows Harriet and Shillow watching out the window for the vehicle that would drive Harriet to the hospital.

Harriet's ride to the hospital...a motorcycle on an incredibly bumpy African road...what a woman!

While her Mom was at the hospital I caught Eriana tenderly playing with her new baby doll (a gift from my mom in the States :)  She must be wondering what the new baby will be like.

My Mama and Harriet stayed at the hospital for a week and eventually Harriet needed to have a c-section. After many long days she brought Angel into the world.

So far, she mainly does the normal baby routine of crying, eating and sleeping.  I love to watch her older sisters interact with her and to listen to Harriet sing to her. Yesterday I saw her smile for the first time.

We are all glad to have baby Angel around...

Now a grandmother of 3

The proud husband and daddy

Maria and baby Angel

A few introductions...

This is JoAnn.  She is a first year Uganda Christian University student and my closest Ugandan friend on campus.   She is the oldest child in her family and has been sponsored by compassion since she was five years old.  We have New Testament together and also go to chapel and lunch together from time to time.  JoAnn’s English is superb and I have really enjoyed learning about Uganda from her.

This is Tayo (left) and Maria (right) .  They have been living with us for a little over a month now and help Mama with dishes, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Maria is 14 and is in Senior 1 (equivalent 7^th or 8^th grade) so she works when she gets home from school (she is a very hard worker).  She enjoys singing, dancing and playing football (soccer).  She thinks and I quote that, ‘girls have bad manners’ so she prefers to spend time with boys. :)  One of my favorite things about her is the uncontrollable, buckled over laughter that often comes over her.  Tayo is the primary help at home and is also a very hard worker and a great cook :)  She doesn’t really speak English so we often just relate through the things we ‘do’ together or speak to each other through Maria.  Even though there is a fairly significant age gap between them they have a LOT of fun together and sometimes I get the pleasure of joining in too.  The other night we had a dance party around the dining room table…its a lot of fun to be with them.

These four have a very special place in my heart. Kasanvo Yamiro is the boy in the back.  His sister Hachim Margara is on the left.  His sister Zituna Kakawana is on the right.  And baby sister Fiyma Kange is down in front.  On my first several walks home from school these children would come to the edge of their lawn and wave at me yelling, “bye mzungu!” and I would simply wave back.   Then one day I decided to venture across the street to say hello.  They didn’t know any English besides ‘how are you’ and I didn’t know any Luganda except ‘oli otya’ so after shaking hands and smiling at each other for a few moments I told them bye and that I would see them again.  I began to stop and say hi every time I walked home.  Sometimes I brought a piece of candy or a small bag of g-nuts, but most of the time I just stopped to say hello, give three handshakes, a hug to the baby and tell them that I would see them again.  Then one day I brought a book with me and I took the liberty of going to their porch and ‘reading’ to them…mostly we just looked at the pictures and made animal noises and they taught me the animals in Luganda.  I did this for a few more times and then one day Mom also came out to say hello.  Since then things have escalated and I have now met many members of the family and have stayed to sit for 50 minutes at a time.  Its been awesome to see what four children saying hello to me on my walk home has done to build relationships.

 We don’t speak the same language (even the mom does not really know English and of course I’m not too good on my end with Luganda either!) or come from the same culture or see the world in the same way, or have similar backgrounds, but that doesn’t need to stop us from enjoying one another.  I’m learning (slowly) that just ‘being’ with people is not a means to an end, but an end in its own right and that ‘being’ together doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to ‘do’ anything.  I’m learning about love and hospitality from this family who have welcomed me and loved me even though we hardly know each other.