This is Africa...

Well it's been a while since I've written last!  I'm sorry about that! Things have been so busy, and our power goes out randomly, so it's been hard to keep up with the blog.  The past two weeks have been full of fetching water, bathing in a small basin, teaching, random power outages, hugging, being called "mzungu", kids falling asleep in my arms, giving out letters to the children, eating chapatis, mandazis, and rolexes, meetings, working on administration stuff, and trying very hard to communicate with kids and people who don't speak very much English.  To say the least, it has been a busy 2 weeks!  I could talk about so much, but I'm going to try to narrow it down a bit.  There aren't really any pictures, because I don't have time to take them and put them on here.  I'm in a bit of a hurry...

Living in Uganda has definitely gotten me out of my comfort zone.  There are so many things that I do and don't even think about in America.  Or sometimes I even dread doing these things in America.  For example: washing clothes.  Sometimes I put off washing clothes when I'm in America.  It seems like such a big chore, and sometimes I just don't want to do it.  Somehow, I get the idea that throwing a load of laundry into the washer, putting in detergent, switching it over to the dryer in 30 minutes, and then folding it is a big job.  I have no idea what I was thinking.  Here in Uganda, you wash your clothes by hand, and it's an all-day long job -- sometimes even a couple days depending on how fast the clothes dry.  First, you have to fetch enough water from the well to do all your laundry.  Second, you fill a small little basin full of soapy water.  Then, you stuff as many clothes into that basin that will fit.  And you start washing.  For the clothes that are somewhat clean, you just rub them together for a long time, dunking them into the water every half second.  (They have this method of washing clothes that they have mastered.)  For the clothes that have stains, or are dirtier, you use a brush to scrub them clean, then wash them normally in the soapy water.  After you wash each piece of clothing, you ring them out and throw them into a basin with fresh water.  Then you wash all of them in the new basin (without soap) and ring them out.  Again, they go into another basin with fresh water.  This is the rinsing process.  You continue this until all the soap is out, then you hang them on the lines to dry.  After you finish, you have a lot of basins with dirty water, a broken back, and a lot of wet clothes on the line.  So far, anytime that I try to help the kids wash clothes, they laugh at me, because I don't know how to do it.  This kind of makes me feel like a little kid.  I want to help, but I don't know how to do it right!  But what gets me the most is that I have never seen a kid complain about washing clothes.  They do it like it's just a part of the day, because it is!  If you don't wash your clothes, you wear dirty ones all the time.

Showering is another thing that I took for granted in America.  Sometimes, I would be so tired that I just didn't want to shower.  It would be so nice to have those moments back!  Now, not only do I not have hot water, but I don't have running water.  So anytime that I want to bathe, I have to make sure that I have enough water to do it.  Here is how I wash my hair: I pour about 2 inches of water into a basin (that is sitting on the ground), turn my head upside down, and dip my head into the water.  Then I have to use a cup to get all of my hair wet.  Then use shampoo rinse it the same way.  Bathing is just an awkward and cold process.  Let's just say it's not my favorite thing to do.  I will definitely appreciate warm showers when I get back to America.

Also, power outages here are no big deal.  The only electrical things that I use are the lights, the Wifi (which I now have access to!), and an outlet if I need to charge my computer or camera.  When the electricity goes out, it doesn't really affect me anymore.  If it's dark, I use my flashlight.  If I can't use my computer or the Wifi, I write in my journal, read my Bible, or go to sleep.  It's really not a big deal.  And it happens so often that it's no surprise.  One time when the power went out, I started thinking.  If a whole town lost their power in America, everyone would be in panic mode.  It's like we don't know what to do when the power goes out in America.  The internet, the TV, the radio, the video games, the lights, the heat, the air conditioning, the landlines, the kitchen appliances, the washer and dryer, the hot water; they all go out!  And we have no idea what to do when that happens!

I haven't even mentioned running water itself, clean drinking water, real indoor toilets that flush (not squatty potties), dishwashers, good school supplies for the kids, books that aren't falling apart, paved roads, mosquito-free and bug-free buildings and rooms, comfortable beds, dressers and closets, brooms with long handles, real mops, microwaves and ovens, frozen dinners, and the list goes on.

All these things are things that we take for granted in America.  I'm not saying that these luxuries that we have in America are bad, but they become bad when we become so dependent on them that we don't know what to do without them.  When we lose access to these things, we need to remember that there are some people who have never even had them in the first place.  And they are surviving perfectly fine without them.  We should be able to do the same.  Personally, living without the luxuries that I grew up with has been a great experience for me, and I'm realizing how much we shouldn't depend on those things.  Like I said, Ugandans live without most of those things, and they have more joy than anyone that I have ever met!  Even if we lose every luxury that we have, God is still there with us, and nothing can change that.  That is the most important thing.

Speaking of the people who live without certain things, I have found that Ugandans are probably the friendliest people I have ever met.  Some of them will go out of their ways to help each other and us.  I can't even count the number of people who have been so hospitable to me.  And they start from a young age.  Literally every time that I finish a meal at the orphanage and the safe house, one of the kids takes my dish from my hand and goes to wash it immediately.  They always make sure that I have food to eat.  The older boys are always eager to escort me when I am traveling to and from the orphanage and safe house, so that they make sure that I arrive safely.  Two days ago, a boy promised Zhanna (one of the other volunteers) that he would give her jack fruit (really good Ugandan fruit) the next day.  Yesterday when we passed his house, he and his family were standing outside eating jack fruit.  He greeted us and told us to wait.  Then he went inside, and brought out a huge chunk of jack fruit that he had set aside specifically for Zhanna.  He went out of his way to serve her.  I have gone to fetch water a few times, and each time, I haven't even had to get the water.  I always have to wait in a line to get to the spring, and someone in front of me gets my water for me without even hesitating.  One of my neighbor/daycare kids, Viola, even carried my water all the way back to my room for me!  Another time, as we passed the spring, David asked some random person to fill up my jug and bring it to my room because we were in a hurry.  He did it immediately with no question.  How many people in America do you know who would do that?  There are also the people that we pass on the road that smile and say hi or "oli otya" (how are you?).  One day when I was in Kampala, a random lady that was sitting beside me went on and on about how grateful she was that I was here to help them out.  I really pray that God shone through me to her.

Before I came on this trip, I had my SOAR kids (and some kids from my parents' church) in America write letters to all of the kids in the orphanage and the Safe House.  I have been spending individual time with each of them and letting them read the letters, and then write another letter back.  I just finished going through all of the Safe House kids, and I have never met more appreciative kids in my life!  You can just see their eyes light up when they first see the picture of their "new friend."  You can watch them smile as they read the letter (usually through translator Aunt Allen, who has been a huge help!).  And some of them love to ask questions about why there is a Mugandan (Ugandan person) in America or if they really sat down to write this letter specifically to them.  Some of them desire to meet their new friends so badly, and they beg to be able to skype them (which I am working on now).  Some of them even ask their friends to come to Uganda, or to help them get to America!  I feel so blessed that I get to witness such joy in these kids when they realize that they are loved by people who are thousands of miles away.  I wish I could be as appreciative as they are!

Some quick updates about my experience in Uganda: I have fallen in love with the foods chapatis (kind of like a tortilla, but better), kicomando (beans, Irish potatoes, and chapatis), rolex (cooked egg, green peppers, and tomato rolled up into a chapati), and mandazis (fried bread).  These are all pretty much unhealthy foods -- no wonder I like them so much!  We have even made friends with some of the shop workers who make these foods because we buy them so much!  Also, all the drivers know where we live, so when they drive us home, we don't even have to tell them how to get there!  They just know where the mzungus live, and they see to it that they get us there as safely as possible.  I am learning my way around Bulenga, which makes me feel a little more at home (even though it is not my home).  This weekend, I am going to a village called Palissa with Vivian (one of the other volunteers) to visit one of her friends.  We will be there until Sunday afternoon/night, so I'm excited about that trip!

Please pray for the kids at the Safe House and the orphanage.  Also, pray that we can get things accomplished here at RUHU and help them run more smoothly as an NGO.  God is doing some awesome things with the kids and with this organization, and I am so excited to see where it goes from here!