Visiting Orphans Part 2- Kampala and surrounding villages

After a long bus ride on a VERY crowded bus we got to Kampala around lunch time (on Sunday?) and went to Return Ministries. When we got there children crowded around the bus eager to see us. Return is situated in the slums of Kampala and ministers to the surrounding community. It is run by Pastor Samuel who has such a heart for these people and big visions for this ministry. At least once a week they provide a meal for community children and a safe place to be for a while. We helped feed the hungry children (over 100 of them) bowls of rice and beans. It was sad to see how skinny and hungry many of them were. After we fed them we played with them and held them. It's precious how they crowd around you, hug you and want to be held, but at the same time it breaks your heart because most of them don't get the attention they need at home. I picked up a little girl and started painting nails. Soon she was asleep in my lap and I had a big crowd of children (both boys and girls) who wanted their nails painted bright purple. I had my “assistant,” a sweet little girl named Sarah, hold the bottle of nail polish while I awkwardly tried to paint wiggling little finger nails with my one free hand. We sang, danced, played games and loved on the children for most of the afternoon. It was really good to see the guys in our group interacting with these children. They so desperately need good male role models in their life...even though we couldn't be there long, being picked up, held and played with by these loving, godly guys is so big.

The next day we went back to Return Ministries and went out into the community. We carried heavy sacks of beans and rice flour for many miles in the hot sun as we walked through the community going to houses to give families some food, talk to them and pray for them. I almost feel at a loss for words to describe the tiny houses crowded together, the dirt, the bugs, the listless malnourished children sitting outside, the smell...it's all kind of overwhelming. I just pray that God can expand the small effort we put out to help, that he will continue to use Return Ministries to shine a light in that place and bring people His hope.

Our last few days in Uganda were spent in an extremely rural village a couple hour bus ride from Kampala. How do I describe the 3 classes crammed into 1 small classroom or the hungry look on the childrens' faces as we served them posho (rice flour and water, basically like a drinkable porridge), or how do I describe the malaria outbreak that happened while we were there? It is just so different than anything in the states because people are getting sick and dying from things that either wouldn't happen or are easily and cheaply treatable back home. We worked in the clinic and school, did some construction and visited families in the community. We went to one house where both parents were gone and the older boy was taking care of a very small child who looked very sick. The next house we went to was the home of a Muslim family. We talked with them for a long time then they invited us into their house to pray for them in Jesus' name which was pretty amazing. When we went to leave the man got down on his knees in an expression of thanks (which is almost unheard of because normally only the women do that here). Before we left some of the children danced and sang for us which was amazing. If you haven't heard African children sing or seen them dance you truly are missing out on a piece of life!

The last day we were there we went to an even more remote village. It was a very spiritually dark place. They didn't even tell people we were coming because of all the witchcraft in the area...if they would have known they would have taken children and offered them as sacrifices to “protect” the area. You got the feeling that many of the children hadn't seen many white people. While we were there we all grabbed an old motor oil can and walked a very long way to a “well” to get water. It was a big murky, dirty hole where the cows drink. We filled the cans with filthy water and walked back to the village. I have never seen anything like it...at first it was kind of surprising that they were putting drinking water in old dirty oil cans but when you see the water you realize that's the least of the worries. I honestly couldn't imagine drinking the water but it's all they have. The children have school under the trees. Most of them don't have shoes. There's a “bunkhouse” for children who come a long way to go to school; it is a tiny dark room with a couple mattresses crowded on a dirt floor. We got to play with the children for awhile and when we went to leave some of them clung to my hands and arms not wanting us to leave. It was hard. It's hard to even describe the things I have seen and experienced and felt these past few weeks. I'm describing this poverty because it's real...and I can't just pretend that it doesn't exist. But before we left the children sang a song for us that talked about how although they are poor- no clean water, not enough food, lack of education etc, they are also rich in many things such as joy, faith, trust and love. I feel like this song helps describes many of the experiences I have had here. I have never seen poverty like I have in the past couple weeks, yet these people are so full of joy and love. I feel as if there are many things we can share with each other. We in the states have material wealth that we could easily share to help relieve these people by helping build wells and provide medicine that saves lives. Yet I think we have a lot to learn from these people about trust, joy not based on circumstances and so many of these concepts that they seem to understand in a deeper way than we may ever know. Many things to process and think on...

Visiting Orphans Part 1- Jinja

As I write this I am sitting on another airplane, leaving beautiful Uganda and heading for the unknown of Ethiopia. It was strange being at the Entebbe airport and thinking back on that day so many weeks ago when I first arrived. Everything felt so new and strange and I felt SO foreign then! But now it feels “comfortable” and familiar to me (I can even speak and understand some of the Luganda language!).

As I sit here and try to write about this past week words escape me...I don't know if I can even begin to describe the things I have seen and experienced but I will try. I tearfully left Rafiki and traveled to Jinja with Carolyn and 3 Rafiki children. Upon arriving we talked to multiple people and traveled numerous roads in a torrential downpour trying to find Canaan Children's Home. Finally we found it and I was left to talk to Papa Isaac and play with some of the children while I waited for the VO team to arrive. I played with two little guys who ran around chanting “that's ok, that's ok” and laughing and laughing after they heard me say it when they were too scared to go down a slide (I don't think they understood what it meant because they didn't speak much English)! When the team arrived one of them clung tightly to my neck and wouldn't let go as 30 mzungus poured off the bus. After being essentially by myself for so many weeks it was wonderful to be with a group of people. It is a great group of people that I am very blessed to serve with. We spent a couple days at Canaan ministering to the children there. These children are so different from the Rafiki children in their clean uniforms and orderly cottages. They are dirty and live crowded into bunkhouses with many other children. They bathe outside in the open then put on dirty clothes that smell of urine but they are so precious. They are starved for attention, which we gladly gave. At times my arms were shaking from lugging around children but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every single day we were there I had a child curl up in my lap and fall asleep in my arms. One night I went and tucked a sleeping child into her bunk and it broke my heart to put her down, not sure when (if ever) another person would hold her until she went to sleep and tuck her in. It was hard leaving the children there but that is when you just have to trust that God was there before we got there, he cares about these children, has a plan for them and will continue His work after we leave.

On one of our days in Jinja some of us spent a couple hours at Sangolo Babies- a home with 15 babies run by a couple who care for these children and literally trust God every single day to provide for their day to day needs. When we stepped off the bus D met us with a baby in her arms asking, “who wants a baby?!” Everyone's arms went out and we went inside where she pretty much passed out babies until we each had one. The baby I had was named Grace. She was 18 months but literally looked maybe 6 or 7 because of malnutrition before she came to the home. Another baby had HIV and it was heartbreaking to see him lying sick in his bed. We held them until they fell asleep then put them down for their naps and talked to the couple. They are living in a tiny house with no running water and a leaky roof. When it rains there is one corner of the house where they all crowd to escape from the water, but despite their circumstances they have so much joy and trust in God. We brought them formula and diapers and when we gave it to them she started to cry because the day before it had rained so most of their cloth diapers had gotten wet and were still drying. Then she pointed to a small table where a tiny can of formula sat and said that was their last can of formula they had left. I realized there are so many things I take for granted (food, water, a toilet, a good roof over my head, etc) that other people work hard for and trust God for every single day. They are trying to move to another house that is bigger and has running water because the government doesn't approve of their current house. They also want a place where the babies can be outside because where they are now isn't fenced and children being taken for child sacrifices is common. The new house would cost about $250 a month which seems like nothing to many of us, but to them is far above what they make. 

I am still thinking on all of these things. I feel as if my body and mind have been completely overloaded and is in overdrive trying to process everything and figure out what I can do to help. I am going to post this while I have internet and try to post about our experiences in Kampala next.

Saying goodbye

I feel as if my heart is breaking. I have had the most wonderful last week here at Rafiki but it has been so bittersweet because I knew it was the end. Today I had to say goodbye to all the beautiful people and precious children that I have come to know and love over the past 5 weeks. There have been times that being here has been hard and times when I felt discouraged, but when I think back on it, it's hard to even remember those things because there were so many wonderful moments that shine so brightly in my memory.

 The beginning of this week started off with a tea party for some of the girls at Patti's house (she is one of the full-time missionaries here). It was definitely not a very “refined” party by any means, but it was so much fun. By the end the girls had probably consumed gallons of tea and platter after platter of sandwiches and biscuits (you would not believe how much these girls can eat!). We played games, showed pictures, got the girls telling stories, talked and laughed.

The next day I got to “play Maama” to some of the girls when their Maama had a dental emergency. As I walked to their cottage I was feeling a little nervous because it was a group of girls that I hadn't really connected with, but I prayed and God totally answered my prayers in ways beyond what I could have imagined. We had such a fun time playing games, putting together puzzles, telling stories, going for a walk, exploring their garden, playing volleyball until it started raining again then running for cover under the gazebo where we took pictures, sang songs and laughed hysterically. After lunch I tucked them in for their naps and waited for their Maama to come home. It was such a special bonding time and I will cherish those special memories for a long time.

On Wednesday we took a couple of the older girls into Kampala for a girl's day of shopping and errands. We were probably quite the sight: 2 mzungus and 3 teenage girls laughing and carrying on pretty much everywhere we went! I must say it was pretty entertaining to take these village girls to the city but so much fun! They “helped” me pick out gifts for people...some of which had to be vetoed (if I had listened to them my brother would be receiving a hideous spotted cow skin wallet lol).

My final day here was spent helping harvest mangoes, avocados, beans, banana leaves and matoke, adventuring through the bush for firewood with some of the girls (which seriously was kinda creepy because of bugs, snakes, thorns and how dark it is...but still fun!), trying some very strange fruits and berries (some were good and some were NOT! Fortunately I haven't gotten sick from them yet!), then going back to take care of the food we had collected. It was neat to see how they do these things in the village and there was much laughter involved. As we were headed to the bush one of the Maamas asked in a shocked tone, “you're going too?!” I think they were a little surprised at the things I'm willing to try. 

The whole day was so wonderful as I was able to adventure and experience, hold and play with children and just spend time being with and learning from these people that I love. I will miss them so very much. I will miss the cottage 12 boys clamoring to hold my hand, carry my bag and tell me stories. I will miss playing games, answering questions about why “my eyes are so blue and how my skin got to be apricot colored” and laughing with my cottage 9 boys. I will miss playing volleyball and going “adventuring” with my cottage 3 girls. I will miss the hugs and sweet way the cottage 2 girls come to say hello to me and sit near me. I will miss everything about cottage 4: their Maama, the many afternoons spent weaving, playing games, singing songs, telling stories, walking, laughing, taking pictures and just being together. I have come to love this place and these people. I will miss it here so much, but I am incredibly thankful for the time I had here and the many things I learned. I am truly blessed. Although it's sad to leave, I know that God has other things to teach me and I am excited to meet up with the Visiting Orphans team, see more of Africa and see what the next couple weeks hold.

The School Holiday

Wow, it is hard to believe that I have already been here over a month. In some ways the time has flown by, yet at the same time so much has happened it almost feels as if I have been here forever! This week one of the special holiday activities we did for the younger kids was giving them a 200 shilling coin (about/less than 10 cents) and taking them to Kavumba- maybe a 20 minute walk with the children- to buy a sweetie. On the first day I took a group of really little boys (4 and 6 year olds). Gideon, who is a veeeery slow walker, wasn't sure at first about making the short trek but the prospect of getting a candy was motivating so off we went. Little Peter said, “I am going to take teacher and quarta (hold) her hand.” And he did just that without letting go the whole time except to buy and eat his sweetie, so cute! When we got there one of the boys went up to the stand and said, “I would like soda.” I tried explaining that you couldn't get soda with a coin and he was very perturbed because he wanted to try soda! He had to settle for a “bisquit” instead. Later when asked what he got he just said, “a coin.” And if you asked what he got with the coin he would say “nothing” at first and finally consent that he had “one bisquit” (even though it was actually 4 in 1 package!). When we were almost back to the Rafiki village Gideon ran up, grabbed my free hand and said, “I made it! Now I'm going to go 9 more times!” 

M. Martha, Benon, Jereome, Gideon, Timothy, Joshua, Peter, Isaac & Simon

 <--This was taken a couple weeks ago after the May birthday party but these are the first boys I took to Kavumba when their Maama was on holiday.

--> Really not a great picture but this is Isaac (back), Joshua (middle) and Peter (right). 

 The next day I took a group of girls to Kavumba. They all put on matching caps that had been given to them by a sponsor and when we got back it turned into a game of “who is under the hat?” You could barely see their little faces under their hats so I would feel the top of their head and of course ask if it was 2 or 3 of the other girls until I “guessed” the right one. They thought this was hilarious and soon they were crowded around laughing and shrieking, “guess me next!” They would look up, say “guess me!” then pull their hat over their face for me to try and “guess” who it was. These kids seriously crack me up all the time! The other morning I was reading to some of the 4 year olds and I kept coming across books that had seagulls in them. Every time I said “seagull” Joshua would pipe up and say, “No-o. Teacher it is not seagull.” Then he'd shake his little head and continue in all seriousness, “it is eagle!” No matter how many times I tried to explain that they are two different birds he would still shake his head every time I read seagull and inform me that I was saying it wrong! So funny!

<3 These are some of my precious "hat" girls. <3

Last night I was “playing” volleyball with a few of the younger girls here. I showed Mercy how to pass and serve (for being 4 years old she was surprisingly good!). I would throw the ball, she would swing with all she was worth then just burst into a fit of shrieks and laughter. Every time she hit the ball she would jump up and down, grab my hands, hug me and scream. The ball didn't go over the net much with these small girls but it was much better than playing a real game! At one point I look over and Mercy has a little rubber ball that she is trying to practice serving with. She would hold it with one hand, get ready, then swing so hard that her little feet would shoot out from under her and she would fall over sideways! It was hilarious to watch.

Playing Volleyball

We also had a “pajama party” for some of the girls in the volleyball picture. I'm still tired from it! Haha It was so much fun though to see the girls dance, sing, laugh, eat and play charades. I am continually blessed by these people and their joyful attitudes. Some of the people here have been teaching me how to speak some Luganda. When I greeted my friend the other day in Luganda she gave me one of the hugest hugs I've ever received because she was so touched that I was learning their language. This is what kind of attitude they have- they are so grateful for a small thing like someone “trying” to learn their language. The longer I'm here the more I see that it's not about “fixing” or even really “helping” people as much as coming along side them, learning from and with them, experiencing life with them and loving them. I am so thankful for the amazing experience of being in this place with these wonderful people.

Just a few pictures from my week...

 This past week we worked on a special holiday project with P6- making a newspaper! It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun as we showed the children how to use a computer and type their work. It was so new to them but they loved it and did very well.

Here is one of the taxis that takes the children to church on Sunday. This morning I crowded into a taxi with 22 little boys and headed to church in Wakiso! I loved the running commentary that Moses gave me along the way. "Look, look there's a pig! Now we're going up, and now we're going down. Did you see that baby farmer? I didn't know such little boys could watch cows, did you?!!" :)

This is inside the church where we worshiped this morning. The floor is uneven dirt and rocks. It's big but there are no windows or doors and not enough chairs so people crowd onto these rickety benches that feel as if they may be about to fall apart (but this is considered very nice compared to many churches here). As I worshiped with these people and witnessed the love they have for the Lord, it was a very good reminder to me that the church is not a building but the people and that being "rich" is not defined by material possessions.

Home

How do I begin to describe this past week? In my last post I was sad that school was over and I have to admit that I really had no idea what I would be doing over the school holiday here. But I shouldn't have worried! It has been a very busy and blessed week. As much as I absolutely love it here, this past week I did have some days of feeling homesick. Days when I saw pictures of the cute baby moose and freshly green trees against the snowy mountains in Alaska and I could just feel it, that feel of being “home.” There have been days when I miss the people at home so very much that my heart longs to be with them. There are days I wish I wasn't here “alone,” that I hadn't packed my suitcase and headed off to a third world country all by myself. The other day as I was getting ready for bed I “might” have found myself literally talking out loud to the gecko in my bathroom!

But even though I have had those days, I wouldn't trade my time here and the experiences for anything. Being here isn't always fun and it's certainly not always glamorous. It's not ALL just loving on, teaching and playing with children! There are days when some of the tasks that need doing are dirty and tedious, maybe even boring. But I've come to see that so often it is in these simple day to day tasks that God teaches us the most and reveals himself in new ways. I'm thankful for the things that He is teaching me about serving and having a good attitude. I'm thankful for the times when I'm by myself in my cottage, through which I have been encouraged to seek out God more than the company of others.

As I think back on this busy week, despite having some of “those days,” I still see so many blessings. I hear the children laughing, singing and talking. I feel those precious hands in mine and their little arms around me. I hear an African Maama, who has become such a wonderful friend to me, say, “we missed you so much today” when I wasn't able to go visit them one afternoon. I watch kids' faces light up as I teach them how to type. I laugh as I supervise a group of 4^thgraders watching a movie at the school (you wouldn't believe the gasps, screams, laughs, finger pointing, talking and entertainment they provide!). I listen as a woman shares her story with me. I want to cry as I help clean the wounds of a beautiful little girl who is covered in open sores all over her body and has lost the use of her leg due to injections given badly and infection caused by her living conditions- and this is just one of many stories here. There have been heartbreaking moments and moments of hysterical laughter all pieced together into a collage of experiences that are difficult to even explain. I have been able to read to children, teach some of the boys how to play chess, teach/play volleyball with some of the girls, spend the afternoons weaving with a cottage of girls and their Maama, who I adore more and more every day, and I fall in love as I interact with these people. I feel blessed beyond belief to be here... and it is these things that make the hard days and homesick days completely and totally worth it. So I thank God for every single moment I have here, because I know that when I am back home in Alaska, I will feel homesick for this place and ache for these people in the same way that I miss home.

A week of experiences

This morning I woke up to the sound of birds singing outside my window. For a moment I just lay there and listened, enjoying the security of my mosquito-netted bad after a long week. So much has happened this past week that it all feels like a whirlwind in my mind. Most of the week was very good, and even though this past week I did have one of my hardest days since being here, I have so much peace knowing this is right where I'm supposed to be...and somehow I seem to fall more and more in love with these people every day.

This week was the last week of school for the children before a 3 week holiday (I leave Rafiki right before they start school again). I have to admit, I was so sad on the last day of school! I have loved being with the children all day, teaching, reading aloud, helping with PE and doing whatever else. I feel like I learned so much and was able to put a lot of what I have been learning at University the past couple years into practice here. Although at first it was hard for me to assume a “firm authority figure” instead of just hugging and loving on children all the time, I know now that it was so much more beneficial for everyone involved. One of my highlights has definitely been PE. These children have a way of playing normal games we play in America with so much joy and enthusiasm that you can't help but get excited with them and laugh a lot! One day I played dodge ball with P1 and P2. Watching them scream, jump up and down, and clap their hands every time they hit their target was so cute and funny!

      Celebrating our victory! (if you can see some of them are in the air leaping for joy!)

I have also been so blessed by some of the relationships I was able to build with a few of the teachers here. There were days we would laugh so hard at something the children had said or done that we could barely stand! On the last day of school I was walking with two of them after sending the children off; we were sharing stories, and laughing at my attempts to speak Luganda. We don't always perfectly understand each other (although they speak English we have some very different ways of saying things!), but it has been very special. I will miss them.

I feel as if every time I start getting “comfortable” here and into a routine, God mixes it up. Even though I was feeling pretty sad when school got done (goodness, what kind of crazy person feels sad it's the holidays?!) I know that God has other things to teach me and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.

Yesterday morning I went up to the gardens to help (which might have turned into play). Some of the younger boys were sitting on a mat in the shade of a large tree. When I asked them what they were doing they said, “Teacher, we are preaching the word of God, and we are pretending that these big leaves are our Bibles.” One of them ran and got me a leaf telling me that it could be my Bible and I could listen. They then proceeded to preach the Word and tell Bible story after Bible story, all from memory! I was totally amazed and humbled by these precious little boys. We spent the whole morning telling lots of stories, singing, playing games, reading books, looking at pictures, talking and laughing. It was so incredibly special. They told me they were going to start praying that I will come back to their village to teach after I'm done studying in Alaska. It was very sweet.

                       My sweet boys being boys and making faces at the camera! :)

In the afternoon while the children were resting I worked on some projects around the school then I went for a walk. On my way back to my cottage I stopped by the construction site because I wanted to see them make bricks. They let me watch, then showed me how and asked if I wanted to try. It was very hot, hard work but there was lots of laughter and I enjoyed “helping” them make a few bricks! :)

Here I am making bricks...

 It takes two people to make the bricks. One to shovel in the dirt and push over the lever, then the other one pulls down the lever to compact the brick, takes it out and stacks it. They let me try both jobs...here they were laughing at me because he had to finish pulling the lever down to compact the brick all the way!

 These are just a few of my experiences that I have had. Since coming here there have been so many that it's hard to know how to share them all...but in an effort to keep this from becoming even more ridiculously long, I am going to end here for now. Oh, and have I mentioned that I love it here?!!

Hello Mzungu!

This morning I went into Kampala with Carolyn, who is one of the ROS full-time staff here, to take three children (Gift-5, Peace-4 and Raymond-1) to get immunizations or “impezos” as they say in Luganda. Since there were no parking spaces close by the hospital when we got there I took the children inside while Carolyn went to park quite a ways away. When I got inside I was surprised by the total lack of privacy in the hospital. I took the children to sit on a bench in this long crowded hallway where you could see sick people lying in their rooms along the hall. It was really quite sad. While we waited for Carolyn I was the only white person in sight and had these three beautiful black children clustered around me, holding my hands and sitting on my lap, which I guess was much more interesting to watch than anything else in the hall because people couldn't stop staring at us. We ended up waiting for a good two hours before they gave them their shots, even though “appointments” had been made in advance. They brought us into this big open waiting room crowded with mothers and their children. They have the child sit down by the desk at the front of the room and give them their shots right there. Before the girls could get theirs they had to watch another crying little boy get his shots. I felt so bad for them. Little Peace bravely went and sat in Carolyn's lap, still as could be, but as soon as she felt her shot she broke into heartbreaking tears. I held and comforted her while poor Gift, who was already crying at this point, had to go get hers. I felt like crying myself!! Finally baby Raymond got his. He sat there happy as could be until the nurse stuck him, then he started bawling as well. When we went to put his shirt back on him he kept waving his arm and pointing at it like he was trying to say, “Um hello? Did you not just see what they did to me?!” We took the three teary eyed children to get them juice and biscuits. By the time we left I was covered in crumbs from Raymond and juice from Gift's juice box that she seemed to find great delight in squeezing rather than drinking. Between the hospital, myself being so white and three children it was quite the experience!

In the afternoon, after dropping off the children, eating some lunch and doing some work around here, I ended up going into Wakiso with Patti. We dropped some school papers off to get photocopied where the owner kept hugging me and telling me how welcome I was. While we waited for the copies we walked down to the market to buy some fruit. It was dirty and smelly and honestly kind of gross. Piles of trash littered the ground, bugs swarmed over the food and there were big piles of whole dried fish to sell, which didn't help the smell any. When we stopped, this group of children seemed to materialize out of nowhere. They crowded around me peering at me with big eyes, smiling, some playing peek-a-boo and waving their little hands at me. They were so cute. I just wanted to scoop them all up and take them home with me! On our way back to our village we took a different route that took us along this road where there were hardly any cars and definitely no white people. All along the way children kept running out waving, smiling and shouting “hello mzungu!” (That is what they call white people here). 

In the evening after dinner I went for a walk around the village with Maama Anna and her 10 girls. They showed me plants they eat and things they are good for. We laughed and shared stories about our homes. I love those special moments. I don't have time to write anymore right now but at some point this weekend I will write more about this past week and try to put up some pictures.