I apologize profusely for not updating my blog in a couple of weeks. It’s not that I haven’t been thinking of you. It’s just that so much has been going on, the shock of living in Uganda is wearing off and living here is becoming normal, and I have been personally reflecting on many things and well it’s personal and I don’t really want to post it on the internet. So bear with me while I try to bring you up to date.
Well, I have continued to deepen my friendships with the Ugandans and Americans alike. Through Christ I have been accepted and welcomed by the Christian community on campus. I am invited to different prayer meetings, which has been so exciting and revealing. I am slowly comprehending the vastness and diversity of the body of Christ. The five of us girls that live in Sabiti Hall, apart from the rest of the Americans, have really developed a strong sisterhood. We have adopted the African way of communal living and share everything: clothes, food, medicine, money, etc. everything short of deodorant, razors, and toothbrushes. We have never experienced this sense of communal living before and we are all buzzing with contentment in how freeing sharing is. We unanimously agree that it will be difficult to go back to living individually in the United States. I hope that I can continue living in this fashion.
I find myself quite busy with a pretty full class schedule, extra curricular activities, and socializing. School is relatively easy; there is just a lot of reading. All of my classes thematically overlap and I am gaining a better perspective on the African worldview. To be honest, I’m most occupied with socializing, which is something I’ve never really experienced before because I am usually always busy with schoolwork. I’m realizing how important relationships are and no matter how independent I might be it is always better to have friends around. My days are truly filled with laughter, smiles, memories, and new adventures. I prayed for just one really good friend but God has provided so many great friends; I feel truly blessed.
I have started my service project. I am serving at a blind school called Salama. A conversation with the headmaster was extremely eye-opening as he explained how marginalized blind children are. He said that if a parent of a blind child was asked how many kids they have, they would answer “I have four kids, and one blind child.” The blind children are not even considered children! I’m not exactly sure to what capacity I will be helping the school, but I am hoping to work with the children in their classes. One of the directors said that I could possibly teach a class, so we’ll see. (The girls and I serving at Salama might be fundraising for the school. There are in desperate need for funds. I will keep you posted.) On Fridays, we help with gardening. Last Friday, we started to clear the garden to begin planting. There was about ten of us clearing the land with a hoe. Within an hour, my precious middle-class American white hands blistered and oozed, meanwhile a 60-something year old man never took a break. Besides the children, I think the most memorable part of my time at Salama will be the journey there. It’s about at 40 minute drive. Ten minutes of the drive is on the paved road, the rest is a dirt road. To say the road is bumpy is an understatement; it is like a roller coaster. Though it is terrifying, there is something so exciting and adventurous about is. I now look forward to drive as it provokes reflection. Below is the list of things that I see on my way there and back:
Absent eyes.
Weathered faces.
Beaming smiles.
Attractive faces.
Braless women.
Naked children.
Bumpy roads.
Exotic beauty.
Breathtaking creation.
This past weekend I went to a wedding. We had quite an adventure getting to the wedding. First, we waited two hours for the driver. Second, we had to pack in 8 passengers into a 4 passenger car… you figure that one out. We ended up missing the ceremony, and we got lost on our way to the reception. However, the reception totally made our strenuous travels worth it. It was an elaborate reception with over 500 guests. There was a wide selection of food and beverages and everything tasted great. The couple getting married was of Rwandan decent. (Historically, Rwanda is a tribe and didn’t become a state until later.) So, there were Rwandan tribal dancers that ushered the couple into the tent, and danced and sang throughout the evening. It was really cool to see, except no one else seemed to be as enthralled.
Next Friday, we leave for rural home stays. We’re going to a village called Seroti, which is about 5 hours away. It should be really interesting. I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I’m sure it will be an experience. For my birthday, we will be at a resort in Seepi (spelling?) Falls. I think there is a waterfall and we’ll do some hiking. I think that will be nice a way to celebrate my 21st.
The food is kind of growing on me. Rice and beans everyday - it gets really boring. We usually go to a stand outside the campus gates and get something to eat. I forget if I mentioned the rolex in a previous blog, but it is a staple street food. It is two fried eggs with cabbage and sometimes onion and tomato wrapped in a chapatti. In my tour guide book, it describes the rolex as “exactly the sort of street food your mother warned you against eating in Africa.” It’s quite delicious and I’m doing just fine (I don’t know about my heart though), so I will continue to eat it. Whenever we get a chance to go into Kampala, we seek good restaurants. My friends and I went to Sam’s Restaurant, which was a gold-mind! We all shared cheesy garlic bread. I ordered a salad, a steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies. I cleaned my plate; it was delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. One of our friends in the dorm told us about a good Mexican place in Kampala; I’m pretty sure that will be our next restaurant excursion.
I don’t know what else to say so I will stop. I would try to upload pictures but the internet is painstakingly slow and I don’t really want to wait 3 hours for pictures to load. Maybe if the internet is fast one day I will try.
I’ll blog soon.
Love,
Kristen
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
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