Halloween a la Uganda

Ok, so no matter what your convictions are about Halloween, everyone knows that October 31st can at least be a fun day to dress up. So we did just that. We went to a costume birthday party for a missionary here and it was awesome! We ate food, including Thai, Indian, and a quiche. Played, Pictionary, the girls totally won (and I may or may not have showed off my oober competitive side) and roasted marshmallows over a candle. It was a lot of fun. Oh, and just letting you know, my costume was a tourist so I rocked a t-shirt that said "mzungu" (what westerners are referred to by the locals), a backpack, cameras, my hair braided in a way that was only meant for Africans, and of course a bottle of Pepto Bismol (a must for anyone traveling to Africa).

Sometimes...

It blows my mind when I realize I'm in Africa. Africa! I mean, what the heck!? I never in a million years would I have thought I would be living here. I don't know it's just one of those things that kind of hit me even again today. Wow!

Two months

wow! As I was typing in "two months" for the title of this blog, my computer had remembered when I had typed "two weeks...and SOM". So it's now been officially two months that I've been here and it's unreal to think what all has happened in that time. I miss everyone back home greatly but more and more God's grace is just blowing my mind in so many ways that I can't even begin to tell you. From ministry opportunities and beginning to see the girls grow to what God's doing in my life personally I am just in awe of all that has taken place in a mere 2 months! It's funny so often we think of God's timing when we think of something that takes a while and how it's for just a brief moment, but God is also not restricted to our time line when it comes to short periods of time as well. I mean, who would have thought that as I was boarding the plane and saying goodbye to everyone that in just two months that God would do such a work in my life. He truly is a great God and I'm so undeserving of this grace that He has bestowed on me. Don't get me wrong, I have greatly missed everyone back home and there have been some VERY difficult times, but that's life and the benefits far outweigh the costs. Thank you all for your continual prayers and encouragement, it means so much!

That was SOOO awesome!

Tonight I had an experience that I'll honestly never forget. I went to a Diwali celebration at a Hindu temple with Don and Danielle Pierce and their 3 girls. I realized just how sheltered I am culturally, but honestly I'm realizing it's not just me, it's all Americans. I had to really try and make a conscious effort to not be overwhelmed by how sad I was at how lost these people were. Seeing little kids bowing down to pray to these false gods was just unreal. Diwali is kind of like their new year/kind of Christmas (without Jesus of course) where they celebrate the good overcoming the bad in every person. I'm so thankful though for the opportunity I had to go and see this with fellow believers it definitely gave me a whole new respect for the dedication of people of other faiths, but as Don and I were talking, it's so sad that these people are so passionate and dedicated to serving their false gods and yet we're serving the one true God and we lack that passion, something's wrong with that picture.

Along with this blog is a picture of the Pierce girls (Gabriella, Victoria, and Kaitlyn) in the temple. Behind us is a kind of shrine to their gods and they walk around it and then come and pray before them. There's also a mat before them that people were making their offerings on.

Ahhh...Tuesdays

I have to admit I rather enjoy Tuesdays. I only have class in the mornings and then everyone else has other ministries in the afternoon so I get to kind of go and do whatever, today I went to Flavours and I've come to the conclusion that it might just become my new Tuesday routine especially since the iced vanilla late I had today was amazing and rivals anything I've had in the States.

another video

here is another one for you too

Just a little clip

Ok, here is a clip from my teaching this past sunday, I really hope it works out. There have been only about 5 or 6 girls the past two weeks because the others are practicing for our Christmas performance. This week we were going through the end of John chapter 1.

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