Another tough goodbye

When I first got to Uganda (two years ago today), Ryan had told me that there was someone named Judy who I was destined to become best friends with. Now, looking back on the past couple of years as our friendship has grown, it's very tough to think that I'm going to have to say goodbye to one awesome "big sister". She's been with me through the trials of life in Africa, finding who I am here, and just the drama that comes with being friends with a 24 year old. She's put up with so much from me and in five days I'm going to have to say goodbye to her as she and her daughter leave to return to America. This summer has been incredibly hard in the goodbye department and having Judy leave as the summer draws to a close just kind of bookends the tough goodbyes. I'm so thankful for the friend God has blessed me with and on top of that, He's brought an awesome little girl into Judy's life that has become one of our little family as well. I'm going to miss these girls so much, and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to adjust to life without them, but I'm so excited to see what God has next for them as they embark on this new chapter of life back in the States.

A night of R&R

Yesterday morning I left bright and early for a little trip to Sipi Falls to meet up with Ryan and give him a couple of things he had been needing. I had been to the falls before, but yet again, it just took my breath away. It's so green and the mountains are just so awesome with the clouds and the waterfalls dotting the surface as you look at them from a distance. The place we stayed is the exact same place I had stayed before right after my birthday. This was cool because it served many important purposes: 1) allowed me to see my buddy, 2) allowed me to get away after an absolutely insane week, 3) helped celebrate my cast being off as well as my two year anniversary of being in Uganda (it's the 29th of this month). It was just just really cool to just escape and bask in God's absolutely amazing creation. It was funny because last night, we were watching a movie shot in Hawaii and I told Ryan, "Can you imagine living in a place like that!?" to which I realized a very similar landscape. It was just awesome being in that awesome place, getting to drink coffee, and not get any phone calls! It was 24 hours without responsibility and it was GLORIOUS!





Here's one anecdote from the trip that I think several of you might enjoy: So we went to this very little island in the middle of the river and sat down to put our feet in and just hang out. It was perfect because my foot was needing to be iced and that water was stinkin' cold! As we were sitting there I kept feeling something kind of poking me but I thought it was just a stick or something so I just kind of ignored it. Then Ryan noticed that on a rock in the river there was this cool little crab and I'm not joking, I totally said, "as long as he's over there he's cool". Pretty much right afte that, I felt the poking feeling and looked down and there was this angry crab was trying to pinch my leg!!!! I may or may not have freaked out pretty badly just because it was so unexpected, and as Ryan said, "Only I would get pinched by a crab in the middle Uganda"

IT'S GONE!!!!

Hallelujah!!!! I am free indeed! After six of the most intense weeks of my life, my cast is finally off and I'm able to progress towards living a "normal" life. On Tuesday afternoon, I got the call from my "cast man" that I could come in bright and early on Wednesday morning to get my cast off. He was laughing at me because I was giddy I was so excited to finally get it off.

Here are a couple of pictures for you about the process. The first one is a view of the "exam room" where he does his work. It was funny because when I was trying to swing my leg around to the other side, half of the table collapsed.... The other picture is one of the super fancy job the kids in my life did on decorating this newest cast. And finally, the last one is of the special little saw they used to cut the cast away, that I mentioned in a previous post.







Thank you all for your prayers as I've gone through this time. I'm still not 100% yet, it's still very sore and swollen and I still have to walk with one crutch just to offset the weight a little bit, but it's beautiful to not be lugging that thing around. Being able to take a normal shower, to not have heart palpitations when it's raining, and to not hear "sorry" all the time when I walk down the street are just a couple of things I'm enjoying right now. I'll be honest though and say that although it was harder at times than words can express, I wouldn't take it back for anything. The lessons God taught me and the relationships that I have formed during this time are priceless and if I had to break my foot for these things to happen, then so be it.

Sympathy pains

Being on crutches in Uganda is definitely something few people can truly relate to. Or come to think of it...most people I've talked to have said they've NEVER had to be on crutches before, some even have said they wished they could break their leg so they could experience crutches...ummm can you say CRAZY!? It's funny thinking of how few people have had the joy of experiencing the pain, inconvenience, feeling of uselessness and laziness that comes from being on these dreadful things, but God is good...and in the midst of my self pity, he brought someone to join the party. A friend of mine decided he'd be nice and break his leg about three weeks after I broke my foot, so needless to say, he gets to rock the crutches too. The only thing is that his crutches are metal and a whole heck of a lot bigger than mine. It was seriously just hilarious though having the two of us together in the same location, because here you really never see people on crutches. I appreciated the sympathy pains he is still having to endure...but I definitely have rubbed it in the poor guys face that I'm getting my cast off TOMORROW!!!!

Uganda 101

So here is a random lesson on a couple of things that are commonly seen here, that I kind of forget to tell people about:

1) This is our super sturdy construction. Amazingly enough, you don't hear of as many accidents of buildings collapsing on people as you might think.


2) This is one of our versions of a taxi - we call it a matatu. It's a white van with blue checkerboard around the sides. The only way they seem to work is if you cram about 5 more people in than the van is licensed for, and the driver dodges in and out of traffic, cutting off every possible person, honking his horn to make sure you know he's there, while the guy who works with him shouts out of the window, the next location, "Kampala, Kampala, Kampala!!!!!"

I think that may be enough to get you started, but be ready for more lessons... For the record, these things are just a part of life, but I was trying to kind of wrap my mind what it's like for someone who's never experienced Uganda before, but I really do LOVE this beautiful country!

Another fancy fancy

Being that it's time again for yet another holiday, it means that we are able to party it up with the youth group. Each holiday we try and do something with the kids - the longer holidays get bigger events, but being that this one is only two weeks, we just made it an afternoon event...and honestly, I don't know if I could have handled planning a big thing right now.

Tonight we had an event we refer to as a Fancy Fancy - a time where we play games, have a couple of presentations, a guest speaker, and then LOTS of food! The whole planning process began a little bit on the rocky side, and I wasn't too sure how it was all going to turn out, but I'm just reminded how it's so awesome that God's in control, otherwise I'd be in big trouble! We were able to get the event together, at least planning wise, but then today we had a nice little storm roll through at about one and we really weren't sure if it was going to happen. Praise the Lord though, the clouds parted, the sun came, and by four you couldn't even tell it had rained earlier.

Little by little the kids started to come...and it was just way too cool all the different kids who came! We had kids from all over Jinja come to this event, and it was just awesome to see how God had just totally and completely had His hand upon this event and who was there. By the time the teaching began, there were about 200 kids who had come. We played a couple of games (one of which I was able to have the kids hop on one foot and just try to get some sort of sick enjoyment out of people doing what has become my life). We then had a couple of presentations where a couple of groups sang, then a couple of worship songs, and then one of our SOM graduates taught. It was honestly a really good teaching, and pretty perfect for the group of students who were there. After that, we had the food...it's definitely a task trying to feed a couple hundred kids with rice, meat, cabbage, and juice, but we were able to do it. After all the food was eaten, and the dishes were washed, and the kids had mostly gone, the music was still going and so a spontaneous dance party broke out with a few of us and the kids who were around. It was a blast!

I am just amazed at how God showed Himself in this event! I could go into all the details of the prayers that were answered, but that would go on and on and honestly, unless you have planned an event for a group of high school students in East Africa, you probably could care less about some of these things - such as the prayer that we would be able to have electricity for the event - but just know God did an awesome job at blowing my mind tonight and Richard and I really just looked at each other, amazed at how God worked. To HIM be the glory.

Flying solo

It has now been about a month that I have been flying solo here on the compound as far as missionaries go when it comes to our staff. I won't lie, it's definitely been a challenge, and I am more than ready to relinquish the responsibility back to Bev and Jess when they get back. I've never doubted for a minute the intensity of their jobs or the stress of their positions, but now, I'm like "oh man!" Today was one of those days that I just took a moment with our staff before the day even really began and apologized in advance for what I may end up saying throughout the day just because it seemed like before I even "clocked in", I already had a line of people with questions and demands and patience definitely wasn't there.

It's funny though the lessons I've already learned as I've reached my 1/3 mark...oh man...still 2/3 of the time to go! Anyways... I really have learned a lot so far, things that I either took for granted or just was naive about or just had never had to deal with. I now know that when people have to be admitted into the hospital, they need: bed sheets, a pillow, a basin, a container of drinking water, a mat for their attendant to sleep on, and some money for food (that's not including what they'll need to pay for the medications in what is supposed to be a FREE hospital...but that's besides the point). I've learned how rediculously much gas costs here. I've learned about paperwork needed for work permits. And honestly the list could go on and on. It's definitely been the school of hard knocks, but it's time that I learned this stuff especially since my time here in Uganda is not ending any time soon. But all that to say, PLEASE pray for me that I would be able to manage the next two months, that I'd have wisdom in my leadership, and that I would rest in God and not allow how overwhelmed I may sometimes be to interfere with the tasks God has truly called me to. He knew I would be having to deal with this very hectic time at this point in life...more specifically with one leg which adds a whole other element to things. I'm just so thankful that we have a staff who is full of people I can trust and turn to, and who understands and even can encourage me on days like today when it just seems like too much.