Celebrating Easter in Uganda has been an incredible experience. Our day began with a morning service at a local church. We took boda bodas from town to the neighborhood church, which I found to be terribly inconvenient with a skirt. When we arrived at the church, there were massive crowds waiting outside and in the halls to get a seat as soon as the sanctuary cleared out from the previous service.
The church service was mostly in English, with some worship songs in Ugandan. Choir members waved brightly colored flags as the congregation of hundreds sang to the LORD. The sky continuously darkened, indicating a rainstorm. As one of the pastors preached a message, loud thunder cracked above us and the skis opened, spilling rapid rain. The beating of raindrops on the roof was so loud that it drained out the voices of the leaders of the church.
The beautiful service lasted just over two hours, and I dreaded walking out in the rain that was still bountifully flowing off the edges of the building. We had to walk to a taxi, and the orange dirt roads caked my flip flops and splattered my legs and skirt with mud. We walked with a crowd of girls in uniform from a Muslim Boarding school nearby. Amanda told me that the school allows for the girls to come to the Christian Church for worship. When we finally got into a taxi van, I was soaked and freezing. Sarah, the Ugandan administrator for ICY, invited us all to her father’s house for Easter, so we had to take a taxi to bus that traveled the two hours outside of Kampala to Sarah’s neighborhood.
I am still getting used to being packed into public transportation, but it should not have surprised me as to how many people are packed into a coach-style bus. The rain and winds which we had walked in earlier made me especially uncomfortable throughout the duration of the bus ride. When we finally made it to Sarah’s neighborhood, we had to take boda bodas in the pouring rain. With only a tank top and mid-length skirt on, the speed of the boda boda through muddy paths, and fierce rain slapping my face, I was miserably shivering. We got lost on the way to Sarah’s and I was just praying that we find somewhere to go that would be dry and warm. After turning around several times, my eyes squinted shut and head down in the rain, we found Sarah’s house.
I was so grateful and anxious when Sarah brought out a sweater for me to put on over my sopping wet clothing, that I accidentally wore it backwards for the entire time we were at her house! Sarah is the fifth sibling of eight kids in the family, and most of them were there to celebrate with us. We had a very traditional and delicious Ugandan holiday meal, with goat’s meat, chicken, pork, matooke [boiled plantain], rice, beans, g-nuts sauce [similar to peanut butter], chapatti [like a tortilla], greens, fruits salad, and Irish potatoes. There was so much food, and we all indulged completely.
It was heart-warming the way Sarah’s father and siblings opened their home to us for Easter. We had a wonderful visit, worth all the trouble and challenges of getting to her place. When we traveled back by bus and taxi to our ICY home, I was exhausted and ready for bed. The love of Sarah’s family, the enthusiasm of morning church, and beauty of Africa has made this an Easter I will always remember. Praise the RiSEN LORD!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Day 4 entry. 3.20.08: heatbreak.
The ICY organization volunteers to contribute to various different non-profit organizations throughout the week. My first experience in the city of Kampala began at 7:30 am when I woke up to be ready for daily devotions at 8am. On Thursdays, ICY volunteers go to Sanyu Babies Home in the morning. To get there, our group of about 6 that day, made up of American and Ugandan volunteers, walked a ways through muddy paths and up hills to the main street to take a taxi. Here, taxi’s are in the form of 14 passenger vans, which attempt to shove up to 19 people inside. A driver navigates the vehicle and a conductor sits beside the sliding passenger door to collect money, let people in and out, inform the driver of drop offs and looks out to see those who wish to catch a ride. The chaotic traffic patterns make me sometimes feel uncomfortable to watch out the window to where we are going! The taxi vans act more like buses, as we stop to drop people off and pick up people along the route.
We got out of the taxi to begin walking once we were in the core of the city. To my excitement, and slight panic, we were going to take boda bodas for the remainder of the trip to the orphanage. Laura and I mounted on the back of the motor bike taxi and flew in between traffic. At one point, the driver slammed on his brakes, and I could feel the wind of the van tailgating behind us as it suddenly dropped in its speed. I wish that I didn’t catch how close the van was to my left leg out of the corner of my eye!
The Sanyu Babies home is the oldest orphanage in Uganda, established in the late 1920s for children five years old and under. Collin, one of the Ugandan volunteers, took me on a quick tour of the facility. I was amazed by the organization of the orphanage. Carefully labeled towels for each child to prevent spreading illness, mosquito nets over the cribs, and classrooms for children at different age levels illustrate the expertise of the orphanage. Women live on the campus to be full-time care-givers to these little children. As I walked with Collin through the infant crib room, I was astonished at how young some of the babies were, some looking to be only a few weeks old. Collin told me that in rare cases, babies are found dropped down into latrines or dumpsters. Mostly, in the middle of the night a baby will be dropped off at the gate to the Sanyu Babies Home and the sounds of a crying infant will signal the women who work at the home that a new child has arrived.
Walking through the rooms and seeing the faces of the children, I felt such heartache and pain to know that so many children are without parents. Collin led me into a classroom with Amanda, Laura, and Billy, who is a project manager for ICY and Grace, who is a Uganda volunteer. They had already begun helping to dress the babies who ranged between 10 months to about a year and a half. When I sat down in the middle of the floor, three babies immediately came crawling over to see me. Volunteers are not supposed to allow the babies to sit on their laps, however, because they little ones will cry when the volunteers leave them. I never imagined babies being so purposeful in their crawling, but it was evident that they longed to be loved and to be touched by people. One little boy in particular by the name of Elijah came over with a bright smile and began to roll all over the floor and my legs. He liked to throw his head back over my crossed legs and hang his head upside down. He was very interested in my necklace, as well, and kept a tight grasp of my butterfly-cross pendant as he looked around to take in the scenes. His big, beautiful brown eyes continuously passed over my face, then darted to the side to keep an eye on what the other babies were doing. My hear ached to know these babies had no parents to personally care for them. How could anyone reject theses children of GOD that wanted nothing more than to give and receive love? I thanked the LORD that the Sanyu Babies Home existed, and that it cared so deeply for the children within the facility.
After we left Sanyu, we walked down a ways to a tiny street vendor for lunch. The little hut where they serve food was dark and crowded, only fitting about 7 people around the two tables forced to fit inside. I was certain that the nurse from the travel clinic I had visited prior to my travels would have disapproved of the lunch I was about to eat. Since it was so crowded, the woman cooking the meals put down a mat for us to sit on some ways down the narrow ally. While I was nervous and uncertain of what I was eating, I was surprised by how much I liked the food. There are not a lot of spices or salt flavoring in the food here. It is simple and refreshing.
The second project we were to head to in the afternoon was at Remand Juvenile Home. There, ICY helps lead praise and worship to the youth there who are all under the age of 18. A crowd of about 100 gathered to sing glory to GOD in both English and Ugandan. A missionary team from the UK was also there this particular day, and a team member gave a powerful testimony. John told the story of his history with crime and prisons and how he met the LORD in his last 4 year sentence. I believe he really reached many of the kids there and connected with them more intimately than any one of us could. When John was finished with his story, the ICY team members split the crowd into four smaller group of 20-25. Amanda and I were paired together, so that she could translate when I led reflections. Some of the kids there really opened up to us about their struggles. I was humbled by the aspiration one young man had to follow the LORD and live a Christian life, yet struggled with the desire to kill others. He so openly talked about how he would read the WORD and understand its message, but feel torn by his anger and history in violence. While he spoke quietly in Ugandan, I could see the desperation in his eyes. He was terrified of the gang that awaited his release from the prison. My heart wanted to commit more time to helping assure him that he could overcome his fear and temptations with his trust in GOD. John, who was sitting in on our group, demonstrated through a symbolic activity the need to find accountability and support in our brothers and sisters in CHRiST. I was so moved by this young man and the way that John was reaching out to him. We were only at the Remand Home for a little bit, but the power behind such a short visit revealed GOD to me in a new way.
These projects and organizations show the LORD’s love to people who may not have otherwise seen it. I am blessed and honored to be able to be a part of it.
We got out of the taxi to begin walking once we were in the core of the city. To my excitement, and slight panic, we were going to take boda bodas for the remainder of the trip to the orphanage. Laura and I mounted on the back of the motor bike taxi and flew in between traffic. At one point, the driver slammed on his brakes, and I could feel the wind of the van tailgating behind us as it suddenly dropped in its speed. I wish that I didn’t catch how close the van was to my left leg out of the corner of my eye!
The Sanyu Babies home is the oldest orphanage in Uganda, established in the late 1920s for children five years old and under. Collin, one of the Ugandan volunteers, took me on a quick tour of the facility. I was amazed by the organization of the orphanage. Carefully labeled towels for each child to prevent spreading illness, mosquito nets over the cribs, and classrooms for children at different age levels illustrate the expertise of the orphanage. Women live on the campus to be full-time care-givers to these little children. As I walked with Collin through the infant crib room, I was astonished at how young some of the babies were, some looking to be only a few weeks old. Collin told me that in rare cases, babies are found dropped down into latrines or dumpsters. Mostly, in the middle of the night a baby will be dropped off at the gate to the Sanyu Babies Home and the sounds of a crying infant will signal the women who work at the home that a new child has arrived.
Walking through the rooms and seeing the faces of the children, I felt such heartache and pain to know that so many children are without parents. Collin led me into a classroom with Amanda, Laura, and Billy, who is a project manager for ICY and Grace, who is a Uganda volunteer. They had already begun helping to dress the babies who ranged between 10 months to about a year and a half. When I sat down in the middle of the floor, three babies immediately came crawling over to see me. Volunteers are not supposed to allow the babies to sit on their laps, however, because they little ones will cry when the volunteers leave them. I never imagined babies being so purposeful in their crawling, but it was evident that they longed to be loved and to be touched by people. One little boy in particular by the name of Elijah came over with a bright smile and began to roll all over the floor and my legs. He liked to throw his head back over my crossed legs and hang his head upside down. He was very interested in my necklace, as well, and kept a tight grasp of my butterfly-cross pendant as he looked around to take in the scenes. His big, beautiful brown eyes continuously passed over my face, then darted to the side to keep an eye on what the other babies were doing. My hear ached to know these babies had no parents to personally care for them. How could anyone reject theses children of GOD that wanted nothing more than to give and receive love? I thanked the LORD that the Sanyu Babies Home existed, and that it cared so deeply for the children within the facility.
After we left Sanyu, we walked down a ways to a tiny street vendor for lunch. The little hut where they serve food was dark and crowded, only fitting about 7 people around the two tables forced to fit inside. I was certain that the nurse from the travel clinic I had visited prior to my travels would have disapproved of the lunch I was about to eat. Since it was so crowded, the woman cooking the meals put down a mat for us to sit on some ways down the narrow ally. While I was nervous and uncertain of what I was eating, I was surprised by how much I liked the food. There are not a lot of spices or salt flavoring in the food here. It is simple and refreshing.
The second project we were to head to in the afternoon was at Remand Juvenile Home. There, ICY helps lead praise and worship to the youth there who are all under the age of 18. A crowd of about 100 gathered to sing glory to GOD in both English and Ugandan. A missionary team from the UK was also there this particular day, and a team member gave a powerful testimony. John told the story of his history with crime and prisons and how he met the LORD in his last 4 year sentence. I believe he really reached many of the kids there and connected with them more intimately than any one of us could. When John was finished with his story, the ICY team members split the crowd into four smaller group of 20-25. Amanda and I were paired together, so that she could translate when I led reflections. Some of the kids there really opened up to us about their struggles. I was humbled by the aspiration one young man had to follow the LORD and live a Christian life, yet struggled with the desire to kill others. He so openly talked about how he would read the WORD and understand its message, but feel torn by his anger and history in violence. While he spoke quietly in Ugandan, I could see the desperation in his eyes. He was terrified of the gang that awaited his release from the prison. My heart wanted to commit more time to helping assure him that he could overcome his fear and temptations with his trust in GOD. John, who was sitting in on our group, demonstrated through a symbolic activity the need to find accountability and support in our brothers and sisters in CHRiST. I was so moved by this young man and the way that John was reaching out to him. We were only at the Remand Home for a little bit, but the power behind such a short visit revealed GOD to me in a new way.
These projects and organizations show the LORD’s love to people who may not have otherwise seen it. I am blessed and honored to be able to be a part of it.
day 3 entry. 3.19.08: arrival.
Hours of uncomfortably repositioning myself in the airplane seat, scores of stops on the London tube en route to sight-seeing during an 8 hour lay-over, three croissant rolls to tie me over, and thirty-six hours of travel later, I arrived to the ICY house that I will be calling home for the next three months.
My time in Uganda has been incredible in just the three days that I have been here. I am grateful to have avoided the full potential of jet-lag and have been able to jump right into the rhythm of the ICY Ugandan lifestyle.
I have always wanted to walk off an airplane and see my name written across a white sheet of paper, held by the anxious people who dart their eyes left and right attempting to make eye contact with the person whom which the name belongs. My dream came true upon my arrival to the Entebbe airport. After getting my luggage, I walked out of the terminal and instantly smiled when I saw my name printed across white computer paper. The two young Ugandan people immediately greeted my with a welcoming embrace. Amanda and Moses volunteer with ICY in their free time from university studying and working. They loaded my belongings into the car and we began to drive to Kampala. The king of Libya was in Kampala that Wednesday for the official dedication of Africa’s second largest mosque, so traffic and closed roads dramatically increased the time of the average 45 minute drive.
Off the main routes and through unlevel dirt roads, the ICY house is located in Ntinda. I am sharing a room with Jen who is from California and the ICY development coordinator for the Uganda chapter. The house also has its first married couple of volunteers who are staying in the room beside me. Jed and Laura from Georgia are just a bit older than me, and arrived 10 days before I landed in Africa. They plan to be here through the end of June. Sarah is a local Ugandan who has been helping out with ICY and lives across the hall from my room. She is a spunky 24 year old who was recovering from a relapse of malaria upon my arrival. Wilson, also Ugandan, is the director for this ICY chapter and lives in a wing off the house. He is sarcastic in conversation and passionate about the LORD.
After I unloaded my bags and took a much-needed shower, I took a short nap until my first African meal of rice, beans, and avocado. I had the opportunity to visit with everyone a bit for the remainder of the afternoon, which was relaxing and fairly uneventful. It allowed for me to take in the African hill scenery from the courtyard of our house and watch the sun go down before having dinner and finally being able to stretch out and have a horizontal sleep after two days.
My time in Uganda has been incredible in just the three days that I have been here. I am grateful to have avoided the full potential of jet-lag and have been able to jump right into the rhythm of the ICY Ugandan lifestyle.
I have always wanted to walk off an airplane and see my name written across a white sheet of paper, held by the anxious people who dart their eyes left and right attempting to make eye contact with the person whom which the name belongs. My dream came true upon my arrival to the Entebbe airport. After getting my luggage, I walked out of the terminal and instantly smiled when I saw my name printed across white computer paper. The two young Ugandan people immediately greeted my with a welcoming embrace. Amanda and Moses volunteer with ICY in their free time from university studying and working. They loaded my belongings into the car and we began to drive to Kampala. The king of Libya was in Kampala that Wednesday for the official dedication of Africa’s second largest mosque, so traffic and closed roads dramatically increased the time of the average 45 minute drive.
Off the main routes and through unlevel dirt roads, the ICY house is located in Ntinda. I am sharing a room with Jen who is from California and the ICY development coordinator for the Uganda chapter. The house also has its first married couple of volunteers who are staying in the room beside me. Jed and Laura from Georgia are just a bit older than me, and arrived 10 days before I landed in Africa. They plan to be here through the end of June. Sarah is a local Ugandan who has been helping out with ICY and lives across the hall from my room. She is a spunky 24 year old who was recovering from a relapse of malaria upon my arrival. Wilson, also Ugandan, is the director for this ICY chapter and lives in a wing off the house. He is sarcastic in conversation and passionate about the LORD.
After I unloaded my bags and took a much-needed shower, I took a short nap until my first African meal of rice, beans, and avocado. I had the opportunity to visit with everyone a bit for the remainder of the afternoon, which was relaxing and fairly uneventful. It allowed for me to take in the African hill scenery from the courtyard of our house and watch the sun go down before having dinner and finally being able to stretch out and have a horizontal sleep after two days.
Monday, March 17, 2008
time.
"it is not for you to know that times or dates the FATHER has set by HiS own authority." acts1:7
for those who know me well, i have had my heart set on serving in africa for several years. in fact, just over two years ago, i had my suitcase tightly packed to the brim, ready to catch a flight to south africa to spend a year on a hospital ship. while it was difficult for me to accept when my plans did not work out, i had to keep my faith in the LORD that it was not yet my time.
as i dart my eyes to the clock, i see that it is less than five hours until i will be boarding an airplane at o'hare. the anticipation of spending the next three months volunteering in africa is growing with each tick of the minute hand.
when i step off the plane in uganda, i will be joining a team of volunteers through the international christian youthworks organization [http://icy.org.uk/]. i am not certain to the exact type of work i will be committing to over the spring season, but i am excited to see the opportunities and adventures that come my way over time. i desire to share my heart for the LORD and love for people as i explore a new culture.
the approaching trip is all in GOD's timing. it is a time to encourage personal growth. it is a time to make a difference. it is a time to gain new perspective. it is a time for a challenge and a time to push me from what i find comfortable. i'm ready to learn and be inspired by people across the globe. it's time.
in HiM,
dani
* new address while i am in africa:
P.O. Box 33273
Kampala, Uganda
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