each man's life touches so many others.

I think I'm going to stop beginning my posts with "Uganda #" because I am now staying in Uganda, I am not planning on leaving anytime soon! This is my new home. And that comes with a lot of tears, and emotions, and difficulties, and adjustments. But it also means God is doing crazy and wonderful and exciting things with my life, and I cannot thank Him enough for that.

this is just a small update. I am still helping out at Smile Africa some days and at Awinjo some days, helping kids learn the keyboard. that has been a challenge since it has been a long time since I have sat down and played piano! but it's been good. it's good to meet more people and to branch out more and to feel useful. my prayer requests right now would be that I would love God and His people more passionately, and selflessly. not to wonder what is in it for me or what do I get in return, but to love and serve God and His people just because He loves me and I want to be faithful to Him.

Fred just got an amazing job in Soroti, a city about 4 hours north west of Tororo, and he'll be starting in mid-January. that will definitely be a new dimension of our relationship! I am so excited for him and proud of him. he will be doing something meaningful for a wonderful organization. the last job he had, he was miserable at. him moving to Soroti means we will be apart for most of the time between now and getting married (which we still don't have a date for), which is the hardest part about this, currently. but God is good and faithful and I know He will be teaching me things during this time that He specifically wants me to learn. so, praise to Him, He knows what He is doing, He is in control, and His plans are good.

being here for Christmas was hard. I miss my family, my friends, Christmas lights, wonderful hot drinks from Starbucks, cheesy Christmas music, the tree lots full of pine, and so much more. I did get to watch half of It's a Wonderful Life with Fred, but we got interrupted and couldn't finish. hoping to finish it with him sometime soon. there were a lot of tears shed by me over Christmas as I was dealing with some of these things. please continue praying for Fred and I as we transition through so many things and deal with cultural differences and barriers.

also, I am basically out of money and still need to pay my host family and have living expenses at least until we get married! any help is more than appreciated! Paypal link on the right hand side of the page. love and miss you all. anytime you send a note, call, or communicate in any way, it is very much appreciated. :)

Uganda #9: Do Not Be Unduly Dismayed

We should not be unduly dismayed if we find ourselves passing through deeply unsettling periods, in which nothing flows as smoothly as we had expected, and everything we have been led to believe and hope for appears to be taken from us. When the Lord is about to accomplish something special, He allows us to see the difficulties first. But when He is about to do something magnificent, it usually appears completely impossible.
-Robert Weston, “Intimacy and Eternity”

As usual, I have taken too long without updating this blog! Agh, I am so sorry! I know there are many of you have been waiting and wondering what is going on (at least in more detail). I really apologize; there has been a lot going on here and so many changes in the past few months. Without further ado, let me update you on all things Uganda.

I’m not sure which things I’ve included in emails to you all and which I’ve only told to individual people. So, let me summarize it all, and for anything that is repetition for you, I’m sorry! :) On the last blog I mentioned the possibility of ending things with OCA in December. Something crazy and pretty unexpected happened in October that really changed things at the orphanage. I got a call one Sunday afternoon saying that the landlady of the house the kids were living in came over and locked everyone out of the house because they had failed to pay rent and they owed for three months. It wasn’t entirely out of nowhere since the orphanage has struggled the whole time I’ve been in Uganda to do things like pay bills and keep a regular supply of food around. Anthony and I had talked about taking the children back to their families in the village at the end of term in December. That is a longer story, but basically, all of the children have family in nearby villages that are able to take care of them. They were originally moved to Tororo and put in a house in order to meet sponsorship requirements from the US. We thought it would be a better idea to take them back to their homes and thus avoid all the cost it was taking to keep them all together (paying rent, bills, food etc). But unfortunately before we could make any solid decisions about that, the kids were forced to leave their house. It was a very sad situation. It all happened really quickly.

After that happened, I had so many emotions going through my head. I was feeling sad for what happened to the kids. I was feeling helpless and frustrated; what were the last 8 months for? It was a really rough couple of days. I felt purposeless. I wrestled with a lot. What the kids ended up doing is going back to their villages (they mainly come from 2 villages so many of them already knew each other) later that day. There was really no other good option for them. So the entire purpose, essentially, of why I had come to Uganda was suddenly gone from one day to the next. Yes, I was considering leaving OCA in December anyway, but this happened in October, giving me a lot of unexpected free time. I don’t have the answers. I don’t quite know what’s next. Fred and I have been tossing around the idea of starting a ministry of our own. There are a lot of NGOs/non-profits/ministries in Tororo and in neighboring cities that I could probably join up with. I’ve also considered that God may want me focused on other things during this time, since at the time this happened, Fred and I were planning on getting married in February.

There was also a big change with mine and Fred’s plans the same week as the things with the orphanage happened. To make a long story short, we found out that the presidential election in Uganda is taking place on February 18, and we were planning on getting married on the 19th. We knew right away we would have to change the date (this country is still unstable in some ways and nobody knows what will happen around the time of elections) but we had just started discussing alternate dates when Fred and I met with an American couple for counseling. They heard our story and advised us to take things a bit slower; to temporarily remove a wedding date and take that pressure off; to get more counseling; to establish a better friendship and foundation for our marriage; to understand the gravity and seriousness of what we were entering. That advice was very difficult for me to hear at first but it was an easy transition for Fred. He’d already been pretty stressed about our financial situation and was beginning to wonder how he would provide for me once we were married. Fred and I talked things over and we decided that what the couple said made sense; that it wouldn’t hurt to wait longer; and we agreed to take some more time doing the things they had advised (and also it gives Fred more time to find a better job and be more financially stable) and ‘regroup’ in January or February, and from there we will pick a wedding date. So, the wedding is not ‘called off’ by any means, it’s just being postponed a while. We would also like to wait until after the elections anyway and see that things in the country are a bit more settled before we ask my family to fly in internationally for the wedding. It is a complicated situation, but I know my God can handle anything and that His plans are for good and that none of this is outside of His control. That is incredibly comforting in a world that is filled with uncertainty, chaos, and sin. Knowing that Fred and I serve that same God and that He is the One that binds us together is better than anything else I can think of.

So I had some time of everything being up in the air; things with the orphanage and things with Fred and not having a wedding date, and just some difficult times. Then God beautifully provided several things. Rachelle (the wife of the American couple who is counseling us) heard I was looking for somewhere to help during this interim and she introduced me to an American man named Ken who has an orphanage/discipleship program here in town. He has about 30 kids living on his compound in 2 houses. Long story short, I have talked to him and have offered to help him in any way that I can. I am looking at helping out teach music/worship during their school holiday (which has already started and goes until early February) and possibly helping out with some logistics and organizational things. The same week I met Ken (last week), I also went to visit a place here called Smile Africa, which feeds and cares for (and schools, during the academic year) about 400 kids from impoverished situations. A lot of them are orphans or street children. They also take care of some infants and even do classes for widows in things like sewing. They also have a clinic on site. It’s a great organization and I am thinking of helping out with the babies there. I’ve not been there to help out yet, only to see the place and find out more about it from the founder, a lady named Pastor Ruth. So, God really provided some places that are in need of help that are right here in town. Please pray for me as I take the next steps and try to get settled in what I’m doing next. The future is a bit up in the air as far as a specific wedding date, what Fred and I will do for a living, and where we will live :) you know, just minor details. Please keep us in your prayers!

Two side notes and then I’m done. I am almost out of the money that I raised to come here. I have like $20 left in my Paypal account and I’ve just requested the last of the tax-deductible funds that I had raised before I left. And I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, and Fred and I obviously aren’t married yet, and I still need to keep paying for things here like rent for my host family, transportation, and all kinds of random things that come up because I live in Africa. Any help would be appreciated. The orphanage/OCA is also having a Christmas party for the kids who went back to their villages and if you want to donate towards that (they buy the kids food, clothes, school supplies etc) please use Paypal (link on the right hand side of the page) and put a note on your donation that indicates it’s for OCA/Christmas party.

Last side note is a praise: I thought I would have to completely miss out on Thanksgiving festivities and then a few days before Turkey Day, I met that man Ken, who also has a couple living on the same compound who are from New York. They always do a big Thanksgiving thing so they invited me! I got to hang out with Americans and eat turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin bread, cranberry sauce, and about 6 different fabulous desserts! I felt soooo blessed and undeserving of that! It was wonderful. Now, to see about Christmas….

Love you all. Thanks for continuing to follow up with me. Our God is great :)

Pictures

Uganda #8: The Continued Saga of a Life Covered by Grace

(Bit of an opening addendum. I just feel like I have to add this before my ‘actual’ blog begins. Tonight I just had one of those great moments of peace and perfection. I had just finished shopping for some things for Fred’s birthday breakfast tomorrow and I was sitting in town waiting for my dad to call on my cell phone. He called just as I sat down to have some milk tea at a local shop. So I sat, talking to my dad as he was in Washington state and I was/am in Uganda, sipping milk tea with the sun setting and the sky alternating between the orange glow of the sun and the deepening gray of the clouds. Tororo Rock was also in my view and it is beautiful anytime of the day. While I was walking home, it started drizzling rain and it was just breathtaking. God, thank You for moments like those.) XXX

Dear ones, hello. I must begin by apologizing extensively for not having written in so long. I believe my last entry was as I was headed to Europe. That was in the middle of June, and so much has happened since then (as tends to be the way of things). Unfortunately I will have to Cliff’s Notes or condense a lot of things so that I can cover more ground. Let me get right to it. XXX
From the middle of June until the end of July, I was in Europe visiting several people. I spent a week with RheaAnne, a very close friend from Phoenix who is working in Vienna. Time with her was incredible; it was so good to see her after a year and as we don’t know when we’ll see each other next, we really tried to take advantage of the time we had. She gave me tours of the city, we relaxed at her beautiful loft, had wonderful food, and giggled like crazy. Rhea then left for the US and I shifted to my brother Paul’s apartment, also in Vienna. I spent about 10 days with him. He showed me the ropes of the U-Bahn (metro/subway), we hung out with his girlfriend Lisa (I finally got to make beef stroganoff, my favorite dish!), exchanged new music and Youtube videos, and enjoyed the Viennese summer. Then my mom came and met up with us and the three of us were together for another 10 days. We saw some more sights, heard a Viennese orchestra in the heart of the city, I tried some beer that I actually liked (had about three sips of Paul’s!), and just enjoyed each other’s company. One of my favorite experiences with them was walking around town one afternoon when it suddenly poured out of nowhere. I was wearing a sun dress and flip flops but I thoroughly enjoyed running around and getting wet. We were soaked as we entered Paul’s favorite sushi joint but it was fun. My last week in Europe was spent in Northern Ireland with a dear friend, Holly, who is living with her new husband about 45 minutes from Belfast in a gorgeous little town [[[NAME?!??]]]. I had such sweet times with her and her hospitality and joviality was very much appreciated. We toured a castle, she finally taught me how to play chess, we watched beautiful sunsets from their backyard, and she spoiled me with some iced chai tea lattes- DANG IT I missed those!! XXX
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to have experienced everything I did the 5 weeks I was in Europe. I am so grateful for the people I got to see, all of whom it had been long since I had been with. It was a beautiful trip and I am so lucky to have taken it. As may be expected, however, I really missed things… and certain people back in Uganda during that time. I relied on Fred to keep me updated on things with the orphanage and how things were going while I was gone. He was fantastic about keeping me up to date and taking care of everything. I was very blessed to have him help with that. The kids definitely struggled while I was gone, especially with things like food and basic supplies. I posted a blog about it and several people donated- thank you so much for that. XXX
I’m not sure how much to elaborate on this blog about my relationship with Fred. In Uganda it is definitely a taboo to talk about any of these things, really, until you are engaged. I am used to a different way of handling things, and one of the things involved in our relationship is finding a balance between our two cultures, which can be irritating at times, extremely difficult at others. But God has been so gracious and forgiving with us, especially with me, as we walk down this road. Every day, it seems, I am learning something else I love about Fred and discovering more about his character and the man that he is. I’m incredibly grateful to have him around, and more specifically to have him as my boyfriend. We are walking this road somewhere between dating and engagement, friendship and marriage, if that makes sense. Please pray for us as we move forward and seek to honor God with our relationship. We’re both very excited for the future and the plans that He has for us. XXX
I got back to Uganda at the end of July. Fred and Deborah (one of my sisters) were there to greet me at the airport. It was incredible to see them. It was interesting as I rediscovered the smells and the sounds and the feel of Uganda again after being away for a while. I definitely missed so many aspects of this land and country and people. Now, after being back for over a month, it really feels like I never left. I love that. I love how God has orchestrated things and placed me with this family and given me someone like Fred and has allowed me to feel at home here, in a place that should be so foreign to me. The time since I have been back has been kind of all over the place. When I came back, the school term was almost finishing. I think I was back for 2 weeks before it ended. I got back basically just in time to help type up and print and deal with the end of term exams. That whole process was a little crazy, but it went really well. The kids are showing improvement and that is definitely encouraging. Term finished at the beginning of August and the kids from the orphanage were able to then spend a month visiting their families in surrounding villages. XXX
This is something a bit difficult to explain. I don’t know that I’ve included it in a blog before. I know most people won’t understand when I say that orphans went to visit their families. The concept of being an orphan is different here. You are called an orphan if one of your parents has died, even if the other, for example, is still alive and even able to support that child still. You are called a double orphan if both of your parents have died. It is very common for a child, orphaned or not, to go to school in a town or a city, even though most of their family may live in a village far from there. Education is much better in towns and cities, as you can imagine. So a lot of children end up living most of their time either in a boarding school or with extended family (usually an uncle/aunt or grandparent) while they are being educated. They will go visit their immediate family during their holidays/breaks. So that is what the kids just did. They started school again on the 6th. I’m not sure exactly which family members they stayed with, except that everyone had someone to go and visit. I’m very glad they got to do that, because it had been about 6 months since most of them had seen any of their families. XXX
The last month here has been different and interesting and a blessing. One of my sisters here, Deborah, just had her introduction. I don’t know if I’ve explained this before, but an introduction is like a public engagement party, and it is a BIG deal here, just as big as a wedding. An introduction is officially the future groom “introducing” his parents and family to his future bride’s family and it is when he brings the bride price/dowry for her. It is VERY big in this culture. Deborah introduced at the end of August, and the month preceding that was spent getting ready for it. There were weekly meetings of her essentially ‘bridal committee’ where people met to discuss what needed to be bought, how much money had been raised, making arrangements for things like tents and chairs and food and all of that. I had never experienced anything like that, a whole community and family coming together to arrange something like this, and it was pretty sweet. I’m told it works very similarly when you are preparing for a wedding, though I won’t really see any of that since it is Deborah’s fiancée, Robert, and his family and friends who will plan that. XXX
Two very special women were around for Deborah’s introduction. One is also called Debra- she is a terrific lady who’ll spend a total of around 6 months in Uganda and I met her while she was still living here in Tororo. She’s working with a few different schools and ministries and is from small-town Iowa! She’s a delight- so loving and patient and compassionate, and I have really enjoyed becoming friends with her. The other woman around was Brittany McFadden, a good friend of mine from Phoenix who some of you know. She was a joy to have around and was actually able to stay 2 weeks here with me. Both ladies were good sports and dressed up in traditional wear for the introduction (long, fabric-laden dresses called gomases) and even joined the bridesmaids for one of the dance processions! So fun. The visit from Britt had been long-awaited but neither of us knew it would happen for sure until she basically showed up in town! Haha. Needless to say we had a wonderful time together catching up on life, encouraging each other, staying up late chatting, painting each other’s nails, discussing God and the amazing things He does. She was such a blessing to me in countless ways. As kind of an icing on the cake, her being here allowed me to see Fred around one of my friends for an extended period of time and I was so pleased with the way the two of them got along and became friends and the ease with which Fred interacted with her. I don’t know if any of my worries on that subject were ever legitimate. But yes, her visit was wonderful for so many reasons. It ended with me accompanying her just across the border into Kenya (I live about 25 minutes from one part of the Kenyan border) and spending the night in a little village with a family she knows. They spoiled me like CRAZY, making all kinds of wonderful food, heating my bathing water for me, and I even killed my first chicken there! ;) The star-studded night sky there left me in awe of our Creator and came with a sense of peace it is impossible to describe. XXX
I don’t know quite what is next for me. I want to stay on with OCA (the orphanage) for the time being and help there however I can. I will definitely stay there through the end of this year, as that is what my original commitment was. My concept of missionary/volunteer work and what it looks like to live among the people you are serving has really been challenged by God and it is a constant learning process for me. As mine and Fred’s relationship progresses and becomes more serious, many questions arise. Will I continue at OCA? Will I become involved with a different ministry? Where will Fred work? Where and how will we live? Will I need to keep support raising? This is just a bit of what is going through my head, and I think I will end there just asking for your prayers on all of this. That is the most important thing I can ask you to do. As far as immediate things, there are constant needs. I would like to be able to buy more food in bulk for the kids at the orphanage and money is running low. Needs come up all the time around me and I try to navigate what I can do and how I can help. Please keep me and the people of Tororo in your heart and mind as you consider helping out. Thanks for listening. God bless, Were mise luan, Yesu opaki. :)

**closing addendum: the last 24 hours have been hard. I found out my little nephew Chris (my Ugandan sister's son, who is 4) had to be taken to the hospital with severe malaria, especially because of his fever. he spent the night there yesterday. I went and visited him this morning and he was doing a lot better. but these kinds of things happen all the time. this morning I also got a call saying Scovia, Raphael's wife (the two of them take care of the kids at the orphanage) was in the hospital and was having bloody diarrhea, and her malaria was really acting up. She is 7 months pregnant, so is definitely in a delicate state. I went and visited her as well this morning and got another taste of the main hospital, which is a disgrace to hospitals. I have to leave soon, I have to get home before dark, but I just wanted to ask for more prayer. and more donations, honestly. there is so much more I want to do here but can't because of finances. my own personal living money is also getting very low so I would like to put that out to you. thanks for listening. I love you. **

Uganda #7: Help Needed

Hello all,

I write you today feeling a bit helpless and sad, but knowing that ultimately God is in control, which I am infinitely grateful for. I don't feel like being wordy today; just to briefly let you know what is happening and then let you act as you wish to. Fred is taking care of things for me in Tororo while I am gone and I just got an email from him. It said that the kids at the orphanage are completely out of firewood and charcoal (the two things they'd use to cook) and also beans, which is one of their two staple foods.

There is a bit of money I am going to try to send them via Western Union. But I am fervently asking you to consider donating something today. Even if it is $1 or $5, it would really be a help. Would you think and pray about it and decide by the close of this weekend? I would ask you to consider this matter urgent. What if your own son or daughter were going hungry? Would you continue to let them do so? These kids are precious and valuable. Please consider helping them out. Donations, as always, can be made through the PayPal link on the right hand side of my page.

thanks so much and God bless.
Cathi

Uganda #6: A short summary

We live in a world of contrasts, don’t we? You’ve got to hand it to the world; it’s definitely diverse. Have you ever thought about the variety of foods we can eat, or languages we can learn, or places we can live in, or songs we can sing? In this world, the lucky people can have a chance to experience so many different things. Maybe you don’t consider yourself lucky. My definition of ‘lucky’ or ‘blessed’ keeps getting messed with by God. Have you had a meal today? How about more than one (or will you have more than one by the end of it)? If you’re reading this you must have Internet access. Have you ever gotten to choose from a host of restaurants to eat at? When’s the last time you remember saying something like, “I just had that last week” or “That doesn’t sound good to me” or “I’m tired of eating that”? Was it within the last week? Month? There are so many simple things that I think we all take for granted. I do the same thing, even though I live in a poor town surrounded by suffering people who I can’t just brush aside.

Twenty-four hours ago I was still staying in my host sister Deborah’s room (think reaaallly tiny apartment with no bathroom) in Kampala, waiting to make my plane for Europe. Just yesterday I was bathing with cold water out of a basin in a concrete cut-out bathroom with no door. Just yesterday I hand washed the bedsheets I had used at Deborah’s, her towel and a few other things. It took me over an hour, then most of the afternoon for everything to dry. Just yesterday Deborah helped me make my way through the dirty, noisy streets of Kampala, dragging my suitcase behind her and telling me to watch out and carry my backpack in the front as robbery there is a big issue (I had my phone stolen right out of my pocket the other day – more on that story later). Just yesterday I was living the life of an African woman; nothing about my life was different than any of the other ladies in surrounding houses, except maybe that Deborah had insisted on cooking my food for me. And this afternoon, just a day later, as I type this I am sitting in Gatwick airport in London, waiting to catch a plane to Vienna. I just had my first chai latte in four months. Yes, it was good, and yes, I missed it, but should I have spent the $4.50 on it? That could have bought some things for my African family. It could have bought a lot of charcoal for cooking many meals, or a few days’ worth of meat for my family.

I don’t know if I can live in Western culture again. It would be REALLY difficult. I’m not saying I would tell God no if He asked me to move back, whether it be to the US or Europe or wherever. But I know how easily I can spoil myself and let myself spend unnecessary money and how quickly I can forget about the millions, probably billions of others around the world who will never get to experience any of what I’ve gotten to. I know it’s possible to be a Christian and to live in a materialistic, selfish world and be unmaterialistic and selfless. With God’s grace, I’ve seen it done. I myself haven’t done a fantastic job of it. I think God knew this and maybe thought it would be wiser to just throw me into a totally foreign culture that would force me to be grateful for what I’ve had handed to me in my life and give me a healthy dose of reality.

I wish I could adequately explain to you what God has been doing in me the past four months. I wish I could visibly show you the lines I’ve acquired on my face from all the laughing I’ve done, or show you the way my heart has molded to be more like these people’s, or the way I’ve fallen in love with a community. How can I describe to you the sunsets I’ve seen as I’m riding home on a boda or the star-filled skies I’ve gazed at in awe? How can I explain to you how it feels to be able to greet people in their own language, or to be welcomed in their village like I’m one of them, or be so loved by my neighbor’s baby daughter that she squeals with delight when she sees me?

I’ve only left yesterday but as a huge part of my heart stayed there, it’s hurting pretty badly right now. As much as I’m looking forward to spending time with Rhea, my brother, and Holly, this ache that reminds me of the family I left in Uganda will not disappear, and I will be anxiously counting the days until I can see them again. It feels wrong, it feels strange to be so far away from them, to only be able to hear their voices over a shaky Skype connection every so often. When I left Tororo a few days ago, my host mom said (translated by my sister into English for me, of course) that I should not see going to Europe as that I’m leaving Uganda, but that I’m going on a short trip and I will be returning home when I go back to Uganda. The concept she emphasized is that I’m coming back HOME. It has been months now since I’ve stopped referring to or thinking of the US as home, and begun thinking of Uganda as home. When explaining to people where I was going, I would say, “And I will be home at the end of July.”

When did my time in Uganda cease being a mission trip or something I was doing to help people or some sort of exotic adventure, and when did it become me simply living amongst a people as I slowly took on their characteristics? When did this stop being something I signed up for, and when did it become something that has wrapped its loving arms around my heart?

Maybe it happened sometime in between boarding a plane and creating a friendship. Maybe it happened sometime in between paying my family rent and washing my brother’s clothes. Maybe it happened sometime in between watching a culture from a distance and then eventually having everyone, including me, forgetting that I’m white.

I can’t tell you the way I want to how my time here has impacted me. I cannot explain why I am more comfortable squatting in a pit latrine (think outhouse) than I am with the automatic toilets in this London airport. The flip flops I’m currently wearing have dirt caked on them from the last time I wore them in Uganda. I don’t want to wash them. I don’t want to wash the dirt out of my shoes any more than I want to wash my African family’s love from my memory.

The night before I left, we all sat in a circle after dinner and Bishop, my host dad, asked everyone to say something to me before I went. Some of the boys were shy, some were eloquent, some were funny. What mama had to say made me tear up. What Bishop had to say made me thankful and undeserving and humbled me beyond belief. I sat there wondering what I had done to deserve being made so welcome in a stranger’s home. The beautiful thing about being children of God is that we’re all in the same family. From Amsterdam or Anaheim, from New York or Nairobi, we are all the same under the banner of God’s love. And living with these amazing people for the past four months has given me such a clear view of that. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

I promised you I’d tell you the stolen phone story. Deb and I were walking through downtown Kampala a few days ago picking up some things for dinner. All I had in my pocket was my cell phone; Deb was carrying the rest of my things in her purse. I didn’t even think to be worried about thieves; call it naïve with a dash of ignorance, sprinkled with defiance. Anyway, Deb was holding my hand while we were walking, and out of nowhere two men walked straight at us, making me let go of Deborah’s hand. The way they came at us was completely obvious and certainly not an accident. But before I could do anything, one of the men had put his hand in my pocket and taken my cell phone. A second later I realized it and told Deb. She immediately turned to the man (who because of the crowds hadn’t managed to run off yet) and said, “You give us back that phone!” and the man kind of gave her the look a small child would give if he’d been caught, and promptly gave her back the phone! Can you believe it? I didn’t know what to think! But I thought, it’s typical of God to let something ridiculous and wonderful like that happen. Fred and I started counting and we witnessed like 10 miracles the day we travelled between Tororo and Kampala. We had walked the dirt road between my house and the main road and finally were going to catch a boda to take us into town. Then who comes driving up but a family friend who goes to Fred’s church, who gave us a ride into town. When we were on the road, we saw two very bad accidents involving semis and they could have easily either involved us or affected our travel time, of which neither happened. I lost track of everything God provided and did that day but, by the end of the day we were at 10. It was pretty fantastic.

I think I’ve decided to finally write a short blog for once (I know I know, some of you are very excited!) but I want to touch on one more subject before I conclude. Some of you are already aware of this and some have no idea. Well, Cathi Geisler is in her first relationship. What? Yes. Crazy! I know. I am dating Fred, who is my host family’s nephew and someone I’ve mentioned a few times in my writings. The whole story is long and involved but suffice it to say we started dating at the end of May and things are good and in full swing now. Half the time I don’t understand why he’s wanting to pursue me or why he wants to stick around but I am learning to accept that it is true and really enjoy our relationship. Everything is new still but for those who I’ve talked to you know that the cultural view (and by extension Fred’s view) of relationships and marriage is quite different than the Western view. I met what was basically Fred’s entire family about a week and a half ago and as far as they’re concerned, I’m Fred’s future wife. Could I be, though? Honestly, yes. It is very possible. I have said for a long time that I would love to marry the first person I date. I have never seen the point in kissing a bunch of frogs… ie having a series of relationships and the only end result is that you “grew from it” or “learned what you didn’t want in a spouse”. I’m not saying those can’t be good side benefits from relationships that just didn’t work out, but… I have never wanted that or seen the need for it. I’ve prayed for a while that if God could allow my first relationship to be my only one, I would find that beautiful and wonderful and it would certainly save me from a lot of drama and heartbreak (which we find in life anyway). So, I think all I will add is please pray for us. There is of course different kinds of pressure from people, and a host of differences between our cultures, and smaller things like some languages barriers or different perceptions of things. But God is good, and He is bigger than me and bigger than Fred and He can truly do whatever He wants with us. But I will tell you I am pretty deliriously happy most of the time, and Fred is an incredible man. I have in the past dreamed of marrying an African man, I just never truly saw it as a viable option. My God is creative.

I love you all and thanks for keeping up with me. Catch you next time! :)

pictures!!

Ok, it takes long to try to figure out posting pictures as well as captioning so I hope these speak for themselves. Love to all!

Cathi

Uganda #4: Untitled!!

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been about a month since I’ve written. Geez, I am sorry about that, folks. I know you’ve all been waiting on pins and needles to hear about my life; I deeply apologize. I really should be in the habit of writing every 2 weeks or so, because otherwise I know I’ll be leaving so much out (no promises)! Although I think even if I wrote things down every single day, I would still leave things out. You’d never get the full picture. For that you’d have to come here, COME AND SEE, and experience a completely different and beautiful world.

It’s hard now having people say things to me like, “I really admire what you’re doing” or “It must be so difficult living in a place like that” or “are you just counting down the days until you go home?”

I don’t feel like I’m doing that much. I’m certainly not doing anything life-changing or epic; not when you just look at the facts, the actions. I go to an orphanage for a few hours a day and help teach some kids. As far as making charts or graphs or writing an essay about “all that I’m accomplishing here,” that wouldn’t happen. And I didn’t come here to write a report about what I did here or fulfill some checklist of requirements for being in a foreign country. I knew before I came here that a HUGE reason I wanted to stay for a longer period of time was to build relationships. It’s difficult to build a meaningful relationship with anyone in a weekend, 2 weeks or even 2 months of being somewhere. I’m coming up on being here for 2 months and I’m just starting to really get to know people on a deeper level, to spend time with them consistently and be able to have something of value to pour into their lives (and let them pour into mine). I would certainly say the MAIN thing I am doing here is building relationships, and since that’s a major reason I came here for a longer time, I am very very satisfied with that.

As an American citizen with a Western mindset, it is sometimes difficult to look at the last week and think; there is nothing concrete that I did. There is nothing I can give a number to or put a figure on or show you tangible progress on. But in the last week, I spent time with people. I hung out with the older girls at the orphanage as they were washing clothes (a long and tedious task, especially when there are 30 people’s clothes to wash) and had them quiz me on my language skills (I’m slowly learning Jap, the local language here). In the last week, I sat and watched an entire – yes, entire – football club game with Fred, my sister, and her fiancée (that’s football the way the rest of the world knows it – most likely soccer for you). I’ve sat for hours in the morning on days off talking to Bishop (my host dad) about anything from church planting to how he raises his children. I’ve gone to a remote home in the nearby village and sat for hours in a grass thatched hut having an Easter meal (more on that later).

The things I’m doing here are not going to alter the course of history. I’m probably not going to write a best-selling novel about it or have speaking engagements because of it. What I am doing is building relationships, and so much is accomplished through relationships. Not only do I enjoy relationships in and of themselves, but I will never know the full extent of what God does through them. If all that happens in my time here is that I build one good relationship through which God works, then I will consider that a success. No big figures, no fancy statistics. Just people loving people.

Leaving is something I can’t think about very often, because it makes me incredibly sad. I miss people back home; I miss certain things about my life in Phoenix – but here is just a totally different story. None of the “inconveniences” or “archaic” ways of doing things here seem to matter anymore in the context of the larger picture. You adapt, you move on. The longer I’m here, the more I feel like I fit into the culture and see that the way Ugandans do life is so much more conducive to my own way of doing life. Sometimes it feels like this place is like the missing puzzle piece in my life; that coming here, something that is beautiful and mysterious and beyond my understanding has been completed. The more I experience the way people function here and how their lives pulse, the more I find myself at ease with those things, and actually see that it makes a lot more sense to live that way.

Let me try to give you an example. People here rarely interrupt conversations. If two people are talking, a third would hardly ever join in; he would simply listen or even go off and do something else he needs to do. And people here are used to having long, drawn-out and meaningful conversations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat on the back patio of our house with one of my family members in the time between afternoon and supper time, just talking about anything and everything, and watching the clouds roll and stretch over the sky, as dusk settles into night in a sky littered with stars. If you know me, you know I love conversations. Especially long, uninterrupted ones. I’ve gotten so much of that here, I can’t even handle it! :) The way of life here is so much slower, so less frantic, so much more deliberate about truly connecting with people and being invested in their lives. In fact, I find it difficult to imagine ever having to preach a sermon here about “getting to know your neighbor” or “connecting with those around you”. It’s just a part of life here; it’s what you do if you’ve been brought up here. I have had such moments of tranquility and joy here. I lost track of how many a long time ago. After I’ve had a good laugh, as I’m perched on the front steps breathing in the scent of the pouring rain, as I’m sitting around the supper table totally at ease with my Ugandan family – I think, why would I ever leave this place?

Maybe I’m still in my honeymoon phase. Maybe everything still seems wonderful and I’m looking at everything through rose-colored glasses. Maybe in a month or in six, I will realize I can’t wait to go back to the US. Maybe, maybe, maybe. But somehow I just don’t think so. If you’re a praying man (It’s A Wonderful Life reference, PLEASE, folks!) please keep this in prayer on my behalf, I would be so grateful. Ultimately I want whatever God wants. Whether that’s going back to the US in December, or staying here for another year, or moving here and starting my family here – heck, I don’t know what it’s going to entail. But the possibility of staying here on a more permanent basis is definitely something I’ve been thinking about and praying about and pondering and something that is constantly on my mind.

Now, onto some fun, lighter things :) Two weekends ago I was able to travel deep into the village for a wedding with bishop, his wife, my brother Stephen, and Stephen’s mom, Night. Bishop was set to officiate the wedding and he’d asked me about a month before if I wanted to come with them. We hired out a vehicle to do this since there were 5 of us coming plus several other friends of the family. So we all piled into a van when the driver finally showed up about 2 hours late (yes, welcome to Africa). We were going deep into the village. I don’t know if I’ve described this at all yet, but I’m thinking not, so here goes. I live in Tororo town. Technically I live about a mile and a half from the center of town, but this surrounding area is considered Tororo. When people here refer to “the village”, they are meaning someone who lives far beyond the town, at least 10 miles or so out of it. To get to the main congregation of villages, you take the main road about 5 miles out of town, and then turn off onto another road, which is the main road to the smaller villages. This “main road” however is chock-full of potholes and strange curves and of course it is a dirt road. Let me just say it’s gotta be up there with the 3 worst roads I’ve ever been privileged to drive on (dad, remember the road up to those termas where I bought the old mapuche’s wooden spoons??). And the driver we were with was just racing down this road, making every pothole extremely uncomfortable to go over, and only stopping occasionally to go slower if the road was REALLY impassable. It was about an hour of this.

But once I forced myself to think about something other than the ghastly road conditions, I really appreciated the beautiful scenery. The road to the village takes you past a WHOLE lot of trees, fields, super green gardens, and little settlements, small clusters of communities. By the time we got to the wedding, we were at least an hour late (I’m not sure at exactly what time it was supposed to start). And of course Bishop was the one officiating the wedding, but of course this is also Africa and so things like this are expected and common. The ceremony went fairly according to what you’d think of a typical wedding ceremony. There was singing with a choir and then Bishop gave a message about the importance of marriage and the roles of husbands and wives, and they exchanged their vows. Pretty standard, really. The only real difference I noted was that the bride and groom never did more than hold hands; there was no hugging and definitely no “you may now kiss the bride”. That is very much a faux pas in Ugandan culture. You don’t hug or kiss in public, not even if you’re married. And not on your wedding day. I could really get into this, but basically it’s just a very traditional way of handling things. People in a relationship and/or marriage have this sense of, “let’s keep our affection private and not put it on display” and so you see everyone else holding hands (even men with men here, it’s all free game) EXCEPT people that would be doing it to show romantic affection. Ahh, the irony. And the other thing is that here, women are VERY liberal with exposing their breasts. Mothers nursing children, for sure, will do it anywhere, with no attempt to cover themselves in any way. And I’ve just seen it displayed in many other ways; women don’t think about it. And in talking to Fred one day I realized the opposite is true in Western culture. We go to great pains to cover our bodies, especially women with their breasts, but we make out on the sidewalk or in the movie theatre like there’s no tomorrow. Interesting what a culture does and does not find appropriate. So, then the ceremony was over and we headed to the reception, which took place at the groom’s family’s house about a mile or two away. There people sit under a tent (and the respected guests get chairs) and sit through some speeches, some traditional dances and different things, and then there is food at the end. I rather enjoyed the food there; it was matoke (mashed bananas), rice, chicken (well, only a few select people got chicken, and Bishop was one of them; he gave me his share), goat, and I believe cabbage. I can’t quite remember. Anyway, it was all very good and I had no stomach issues from it so, I was very happy with that :)

Yesterday was a really diverse adventure so I want to share that one with you. After church, 2 of my sisters (Night and Deborah), Deborah’s fiancée Robert, our Pastor, Patrick and I headed out. Our plan was twofold: Robert’s cousin had died a few days earlier and we were going to her burial. Then after that, we were headed to the village, to a place called Paduenda, where Betty, one of Bishop’s daughters, lives. Even getting to the burial we got lost several times because nobody knew where the place was! And it’s not like there are street signs or mile markers or anything like that. Eventually we found the place, but by the time we got there it was almost over. There had to have been at least 300 people there, and of course every eye was on me as I walked in, being the only white person around. While we were there I asked Night if the family of the deceased paid to feed the guests. Then she said no, actually everyone in the clan of the family (think of it like their neighbors) contributes money or food so that all the guests can be fed. What an amazing sense of community, and of loving each other, and of bearing one another’s burdens. I loved hearing that.

After the funeral we got back into the car (Pastor Patrick was driving) to head to Betty’s house in a different village. By this time some really heavy, dark clouds had rolled in and it suddenly started pouring. Here’s the scene: old, beat-up car; bad tires; leaks in the hood; intense rain; bad road; potholes; old windshield wipers. It made for a GREAT drive! Ahhh, I seriously thought we were going to crash or get injured in some way. I was the only one wearing a seatbelt; nobody here wears them. The windows of Bishop’s car don’t close all the way so there was water leaking in on me. There’s some sort of leak in the front of the car so a bunch of muddy rain water poured in where my feet were. I didn’t think we’d make it to the main road alive! At one point I said to everyone in the car, “This weather is pretty crazy. Shouldn’t we think about going home instead? Isn’t it too dangerous to drive in this weather?” Haha and nobody even said anything to me; definitely nobody agreed, and nobody even tried to reassure me. It was completely normal to them!! But thankfully Patrick is a good driver and is adept at avoiding as many potholes as possible. Eventually the rain let up and we took the small, windy road that led us to Betty’s house way out in the village.

I loved her house; it’s really more of a compound. The way it normally works in the village is that you and your family all live in the same area and build your houses near each other. If you’re a man, you tend to stay around your parents, siblings etc. If you’re a woman, you move to where the man’s family is. So Betty lives with 4 of her kids (the other 3 kids, who are older, live here with us) and her husband and her mother-in-law and a few other relatives in this village, Paduenda. The spot is, of course, absolutely beautiful and natural. They have a building for cooking (I cannot remember if it was made of mud or what it was, but it was sturdy) and several grass thatched huts for the family. We ate in the hut where Betty and her husband, Joseph, sleep. In the front part of it there is a space for a small table and we sat in chairs around that. They very kindly gave me the seat of honor, which basically means the most comfortable chair. I really liked the hut!! The roof is made so well that rain doesn’t get in, but because of the material it’s made out of and the fact that very little sun gets inside, the houses stay very cool. It was almost like being in air conditioning! I love man’s ingenuity, it’s out of control. So we were treated extremely well there and I loved exploring the compound; they had an incredible view from their field to some distant trees and the sunset that night was spectacular. I’ll try to post pictures one day. This was for Easter so they made us a really nice meal including 3 kinds of meat: pork, turkey and beef. It was all very good and of course extremely fresh (one of my favorite things about life here). I really enjoyed getting to visit and see Betty again, and it’s always funny to see people’s reactions to a white person in their village. :)

There are some people who have been very important to me here that I think I’ve barely mentioned in previous blogs. I apologize for this! And I could kick myself. I know there’s a lot going on here, but I should have talked about them before! Their names are Leon and Irene, and they are a couple from Amsterdam that have spent the last 3 months here (they got here a few weeks before I did). They came to help out at the computer center, which is what is supposed to help generate money for the orphanage. Leon works back in Amsterdam for Motorola and is a pretty important guy there, from what I can gather. Irene is a nurse. I really enjoyed getting to know them the last few months; they actually left a few days ago! :( I was really, really sad to see them go, and wished they had been able to stay longer. They saved up money for a long time and took basically all of their holiday time to be able to come and volunteer down here, which is amazing. They had some difficult times and challenges being down here but, they really rose to the occasion and did some great things here. They gave money for a chicken house to be built at the orphanage, which is almost finished, and then they will also be buying chickens, 20 or so, for the orphanage to start raising and hopefully selling. This should be something that also generates money for them; it might not be much, but it’s something that can help them grow to be self-sustaining and something the kids can help with as well, which is a good side benefit.

I had to say goodbye to Leon and Irene a few days ago, which was hard, and very sad. Again, I really like them and it was wonderful getting to know them. I pray we meet again. And their leaving got me to thinking about a lot of things. First, I can’t believe how fast the last few months went, and how they’re already gone. That was pretty sobering. On Saturday we all went to the orphanage so that the kids could say goodbye to Leon and Irene. They sang some songs (I took videos; I hope to get those up on facebook eventually) and the kids were given sodas (a rare treat) and balloons and we all hung out for a while. I’m not sure how many of the kids understood Leon and Irene weren’t coming back, but I sat there thinking, I cannot envision this being me in December. I cannot imagine or fathom the day when it’s me they’re saying goodbye to, when it’s me they’re singing songs of farewell to and me they’re asking when will I return to Uganda.

Do I have to let that day come?

Does it have to be December 2010 that I leave this place, maybe forever?

I don’t see why it has to be. I mean, I could get really into this but, suffice it to say there is no law that dictates when I have to leave, when I have to go “home”. Now it feels strange calling Phoenix or the US my home, because this is my home now, and Phoenix is where I lived before I lived in Tororo. For some reason, of which only God truly knows, I do not have anything tying me down or pulling me back to the US; nothing concrete, nothing that can’t wait a year or ten. (Though I don’t want to minimize the amazing group of people and support I have there; you’re all very important to me.) Could I still come back at the end of this year? Yes. Could I come back earlier than that for some as yet unknown reason? Yes. Could I stay here longer? I think the answer to that is also yes.

It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Freedom to sing, freedom to worship Him, and freedom to follow Him, wherever He leads us and for however long He leads us there, right? I have said this before, but my time here feels a lot different from my time in Namibia in 2008. So many aspects of that trip were so different than this one is. It feels strange to call this time here a trip. For me, a trip implies a set amount of time; something impermanent; something you enjoy a bit selfishly and then leave to get back to “real life”.

….But this IS real life. Nothing about being here feels temporary or something I’m just “dealing with” until I can get back to what’s ”normal”. It feels like, my life used to be this other way, with other realities and other obligations, but now THIS is my life, for as long as God has me here. And if you’re wondering, I’m not expecting a flash of lightning, or some neon vision from the Lord telling me in a booming voice when I’m supposed to leave this place. God works in so many different ways. He spoke to Elijah in a sound as soft and subtle as a whisper. He spoke to Moses in a consuming, blatant fire. He’s unpredictable, and He can do whatever He wants, really. I believe He gives us choices, too. He tells us to delight in Him and He will give us what our heart desires. Do with that what you will.

Okay, I’m sure I’ve talked about that subject enough for some of you to be sufficiently nervous now :) Sorry about that. To those upset at the idea of me being gone longer, I have to say: talk to God about it, not me. I love you all!

I think I will wrap this up with a few tidbits and prayer requests and leave it there.

Tidbits of note:

-Floss: We Americans are pretty used to it. If we don’t use it on a consistent basis, we at least know what it is, and how it’s used. I was noticing my brother Caleb using a toothpick one day and I thought I would show him floss. Well, the kind I have here is the minty kind so it leaves your teeth feeling all fresh. I was trying to explain to Caleb how to use it, but he just kept chewing on it because it tasted so good! Lol I eventually gave everyone in the family a bit to try. A few of them got the hang of actually flossing; mostly they just liked the taste! We were all in a laughing fit by the end of it; it was quite an event.

-Last week I was able to have a good talk with Anthony, who came into town for the day. I asked Fred to talk with us as well since he has been someone kept in the loop on everything that’s going on with me and with the orphanage. He’s eloquent and helped me get across some things that would have been more difficult for me to say. (And can we say CULTURAL DIFFERENCES? GoodNIGHT I have a lot to learn!!) Anthony has a great vision for the organization; all that’s really needed now is some more donations (well, significant ones) and hard work and patience and dedication. It is a different story being a part of something in its relative beginning stages instead of being there when it’s well-established. But I trust God to do great things with us, knowing we can do nothing by ourselves.

-One of the main steps that we would all like to see accomplished is to buy a big piece of land for the orphanage. On it we would build a house for the children, and definitely have a garden; something that the kids can help with and that can generate money; again, the self-sustaining aspect. That way they can be much more well-established and not having to constantly depend on outside donations. Plus, anytime you can give the kids something to contribute to and work on it’s good; that way they are feeling like they’re part of the process and not just sitting there, begging and holding out their hand, waiting for free stuff. Donations may feed them, donations may house them, but they don’t build their character much or give them useful skills for their future.

-Someone here I’ve really come to enjoy is a man named Paul. He’s a good friend of Fred’s who lives in Kampala, but comes to visit when he can. He’s about 28 and has worked with an NGO similar to the orphanage, but on a larger scale. He’s spent years working with street children, helping to educate them and give them a better chance at a future. He’s very wise, and very easy to talk to, and we always have a good time when we chat. He came this weekend and I was able to talk to him about some ideas he has. By the end of this year he’s planning on moving back here to Tororo. What he really wants to do is invest in people in Tororo, especially children. He wants to eventually develop an organization that helps children pay for school fees, or pays for them to take a course in something practical (like driving or building houses) so that they can eventually support themselves (do you see a pattern here?), things like that. He has a big heart for kids and for those suffering who cannot help themselves. Let’s just say we have thrown around the idea of me helping him out if I stay longer than this year. There is so much opportunity here! You can look at places like this and see all the despair and hopelessness that there is, or you can look at them and see all the chances there are for you to be a light, to be used, to love and serve others.

-The weather here continues to give me amazing days and moments. Yesterday I was walking home at dusk (my favorite time of the day) and the sky was starting to darken. The wind picked up, and it sprinkled on me as I walked the path home. Lightning started up and I watched it light up the clouds overhead. If you know me well or if you love this kind of weather too, you’ll understand. I had such euphoria mixed with peace at the beauty of the weather it actually brought me to tears. I will never get used to the fact that the Creator of the universe allows me to experience things seemingly so simple, so ordinary, but so fused with His power and creativity and uniqueness.

-On a more selfish note, I wanted to shout out to people who have called me on my cell phone since I’ve been here (like my prayer team, my brother and my dear friend RheaAnne). It’s always wonderful to get calls, especially when they’re a surprise! I realize the time difference is difficult, 10 hours for a lot of you, but if you can ever give me a ring, even if it’s for 10 minutes, I would love to hear from you. Yes, you. :) It’s 15 cents a minute from Skype, which I know is not free but it’s decent. And anyone that wants to Skype with me (as in, we’re both on the computer and yes, it’s free for you), you just need to email me and we can figure out a time to do it. Thanks to those of you who are keeping in touch with me whether by facebook comments, emails or what have you. I miss you all, hope you had a blessed Easter, and I will sign off for now.


Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.
Matt 11:28-30 (MSG)

In His extravagant grace,
Cathi

random pictures

I don't have time to figure out the craziness of posting pictures on here but, here is a run down of what you're about to see....

1) my host parents, Geoffrey and Margaret
2) some of my host bro's... Stephen, Richard, and Job
3) sunset from the front yard of our house
4) me and Regina, host sister who's been a huge help to me, and a great friend
5) waiting out a downpour under the cover of a restaurant

ok, I better scoot! and scroll down to read my latest blog, if you're just seeing these pictures now! :)

Uganda #3: Hospitals, Lizards, & the Love of Jesus

Greetings dearest ones!

Some aspects about my life as of late that may be of interest to you:

-regular nightly checks of my room (mostly bathroom) for cockroaches (and not much shock when I discover them there; other than mosquitoes and small insects the other one I found was a lizard – don’t worry, says my family, they won’t hurt you!)

-going all day, sometimes all week, being the only white person I come across (some small kids’ reactions are the best, as they stop what they’re doing, get wide-eyed, and squeak, ‘mzungu!’)

-getting asked at least 5 times a day why I’m not serving myself more food; aren’t I hungry? Don’t I like the meal? What’s wrong with me? :)

-trekking 2 miles to town with my laptop so I can be guaranteed Internet and Skype dates with people

-being reminded on a daily basis how BLESSED I’ve been my entire life; how I’ve taken things for GRANTED; how RICH I truly am, and how much LONGER I have to go to be able to exhibit even a fraction of the love and compassion Jesus shows everyone

-wishing for a hot or even a lukewarm shower, then remembering 8 out of 10 people in surrounding houses are bathing with cold water out of a basin

-being humbled daily, HOURLY, at the graciousness, hospitality and selflessness of the people I encounter here


For anyone who just started reading this, the above list is more or less a crude summary of highlights. I hope and pray you’re reading more than that; even what I write barely touches on all I’m experiencing, all God’s doing. Thanks to those of you who’ve personally told me you’re following the blog; it means more to me than I can express.

This present age has continued much as the last… (Watkins: warning. I may have butchered that line. Alas, I digress.) Things are progressing here slowly at times, much too fast at others! I see such incredible beauty here in the same hour as I witness some horrific or devastating sight; sometimes it’s overwhelming. I know for sure if God was not my comfort, my backbone, and my guide, I would not be here writing you now; I’d be on a plane back home. Don’t get me wrong; there have been wonderful and exciting and peaceful and joyous moments. And not just moments, but whole days. But life here, especially compared to the lavish luxury most of us are used to, is physically and emotionally difficult in many different ways. I live in a very nice house by Ugandan standards, and our family has so much more than most. I know I’ll always eat 3 meals a day here. I practically get treated like royalty; sometimes I have to argue to help with the dishes, or clearing the table, or to go get my own water. Even in our family we struggle, though again, we have much more than a lot of people here. It gets hot; there’s no air conditioning. The family doesn’t even own a fan; I had bought one in Kampala before coming to Tororo, and I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated it every night!! My toilet sometimes flushes, sometimes the water decides not to work so that gets me hauling in a water can from outside, pouring it into the back of the toilet, in order for it to flush. Never have I been so aware of how much water one can use. The family uses either a fire outside to cook (think camping) or a charcoal stove, which is small and cooks very slowly (I bought them another charcoal stove – it was the equivalent of like $3 – I forget if I’d written that in another entry). Sometimes we eat dinner at 9:30 cause that’s just how long it took to cook. Welcome to Africa! :)

I suppose I need to tell you about the orphanage, since that is kind of what got me over here! So, this past week I actually was able to start helping to teach the youngest ones at OCA’s house here in town. Okay, I just reread what I wrote last time, and I didn’t really give a good picture of the orphanage. I will have to post some pictures when I get a chance; for now, words will have to suffice. (Suffice! That word is for you, Mr. Layshock!) The orphanage is located in a medium-sized, 3-room house almost in the center of town – I mean it’s about a 5 minute walk from the very center of it. It’s one story. One room is a storage room/Anthony’s room when he’s in town/Raphael’s children may sleep there/miscellaneous; one is for the boys; one is for the girls. I’ve never been there at night but, I can imagine it’s interesting trying to fit 24 children into 2 rooms. They sleep on these mats that my family has just told me are made of papyrus; they are pretty stinking hard, but I’m told most African children (even in wealthier familiar) sleep on these, or sleep on a mattress on the floor, so they aren’t the worst conditions. There is occasional running water in the house. What this means is that if there is water in their tank in the backyard, the toilet will flush, the sink will have water, etc. If there’s no water, they get it in buckets from a tap in the backyard. They have one toilet (for 25 people, remember) which is the kind you may be familiar with if you’ve spent any time in third world countries. It flushes, but it is actually built into the floor, so there’s nothing for it but to squat. I’ve used it several times, and I wish it were appropriate to take pictures cause believe me, it’s funny. The men running the orphanage are trying to raise money to build a pit latrine in the backyard, which as far as I can gather is more like an outhouse than anything else. Whatever the case, they need more toilet facilities there. I’ve seen kids peeing in the bushes and honestly, I’d probably do that too if I were in their situation.

The kids eat the exact same things every day: posho and cabbage. Posho is the kind of substance made by mixing maize flour with water and boiling it until it becomes the consistency of mashed potatoes, just a bit thicker. This is a staple food in Uganda and most people eat it at every meal. On a good day, the kids get beans. Otherwise it’s posho and cabbage every day. Can you imagine? Can you even imagine eating really GOOD things, but the same things, every day? Like having to eat, I don’t know, potatoes and chicken at every meal, indefinitely? I love chicken, I love potatoes… but every day? I suppose it’s normal to them, but I still wish I could give these kids meat, or French fries, or something of more taste and nutritional value. And the orphanage doesn’t even have enough money to be buying those basic things for these kids every day. Several times already since I’ve been here, Raphael (he and his family are kind of running the orphanage, along with a widow named Sarah) has told me that they were trying to scrounge up money for food because otherwise the kids weren’t going to eat.

Are you kidding?

I asked him a lot of specifics about what the kids eat and how much it costs. There are 24 kids living there. With only buying them posho flour and cabbage, it costs about 23,000 shillings per day to feed them all. That is about $12. $12 will feed 24 children for a day.

When is the last time you went out to eat? Where did you go? How much did you spend? Even if you went to McDonald’s and bought something off of the dollar menu, you just spent enough money to feed 2 kids at the orphanage for a whole day. THAT is poverty. THAT is real need. Our car breaking down because it needs a tune up or a new part - getting upset because we didn’t get a promotion at work – having a high electric bill – traffic taking too long and frustrating us – when’s the last time you got upset by something like that? Did you feel sorry for yourself? Most of us need a serious reality check, myself included. Which is one of the reasons, even though I have days that are incredibly challenging and gut-wrenching and I feel a bit of suffering, it is nothing compared to what these kids deal with daily. Or what 80% of the world deals with.

This blog may make some of you feel uncomfortable. Why is Cathi being so harsh? Can’t she let up a bit? Why the guilt trip? Let me say, if you were here, you would probably be telling people the same thing. Let me say, if you want to hear about what is going on here in Uganda, these are the kinds of things you’re going to have to expect to hear. It’s your choice; you can continue if you want, or you can “lose my web address” or “forget to read it” from now on if you choose to. I’m going to be honest on here, and I know most of you will appreciate that. I pray God reaches you with what I’m saying. I pray you’re not the same after logging off of your computer.

I would ask you to consider helping out by donating money to the orphanage. On the right side of my page is a PayPal ‘donate’ button. Click on it and it will lead you to a page where you can fill out credit card information, and it links to my bank account, which thankfully I can access from right here in town. If you donate, I will assume it’s a general donation for my mission trip, which I may use for anything from paying my host family to buying phone minutes to fixing showers, and anything in between. I’ve also been using some money to help out the orphanage, but I want to be able to help more. I do have about $1,000 more to reach my original goal for the trip. But if, when you donate, you want it used specifically for the kids at the orphanage, can you just email me and let me know? That way I can channel it to buy them more food, supplies, etc. The more you designate for me to use, the more I can help them. However, this is NOT tax-deductible. Conversely, you will know for sure it’s being given straight to the kids, so that’s a plus. Know your money can go SO far here. Remember, $12 a day will feed every child. If you can give ten bucks, you’ve helped feed most of them. Please pray about giving on a regular basis; it is definitely a worthy cause. I wish more of you could come and see.

That’s the thing about places like this. As much as I try to describe it to you, show you pictures, even videos, there is only so much that can be passed on. To really see what it’s like, you’ve got to come. Maybe not Uganda; maybe you’ll go to Calcutta like my friends the Smith family (names changed to protect the living-in-an-oppressive-country) and serve ex-prostitutes. Maybe you’ll spend some time in Mexico like my friend Saul and cook food for missionaries. Maybe you’ll go to Haiti like my friend Katie (no name change!) and hold babies in a cramped and impoverished orphanage. People are out there every day, all over the world, serving the poor, the afflicted, the suffering. You can give money, you can sponsor children, but until you see death and disease and desperation for yourself, you can never truly know what it’s like. Quit talking about it, and do something about it. I’m not talking about a weekend trip building houses where you come home and feel super about what you did. I’m saying commit to something, maybe it’s even in your city. I bet if you drove twenty minutes from your home you could find homeless, starving, neglected people that could benefit from some compassion.

The Okello’s second eldest daughter, Betty, is pregnant with her seventh child. It is extremely common here for people to have 4, 5, 6 kids, even more. Betty is now 10 months pregnant – yes, 10 – and is having, not surprisingly, complications. Her other children have come even before 9 months, so this one is concerning everybody. Betty’s been in the hospital for the past four days (by the time I post this blog it will probably be 6 or 7 days) feeling labor pains, having trouble doing even something as simple as laying down, and needing desperately for this child to be born. So now I’ve become acquainted with the main hospital, which is about a twenty minute walk from our house, and is the only government-run hospital in town. You’d think that it would be big and fancy and clean, but none of those describe this place. I soon learned ‘government’ was code for ‘cheaper service and shady conditions’. If you can afford it, you go to a clinic, where the facilities are cleaner but much more expensive. The hospital is dirty. Today I went to go use the bathroom in the main lobby – I almost vomited. Feces all over the floor, urine everywhere, foul-smelling – I was wearing flip flops and was wishing I had army boots on. I couldn’t believe this was the state of the BATHROOM at a HOSPITAL. Poverty plus neglect minus time, that is the recipe for conditions like this. Can you imagine what would happen if a hospital in the US were to look even a fraction like this?? Lawsuits anyone??!

At all hospitals in Uganda (and I’m sure this is true for other parts of the continent) there is no food given to patients. There are no cafeterias. Nobody makes food. You know how patients survive? Their family and friends have to bring them food. There isn’t even an option to pay more and have the hospital staff bring you food. People from the outside have to bring it to you. Morning, noon, and night. People don’t bring it, the patient doesn’t eat. Sometimes other patients and their families are kind enough to share with others, but basically your family has to be responsible for providing food for you and anything else you might need that is not medical. What a change, right? I couldn’t believe when I heard that today. So much needs to be changed here. There is so much need, so much need. Please pray for Betty’s pain to subside and for her baby to be born. [Amendment: I started writing this blog yesterday. Last night, the whole family got together before going to bed and prayed for Betty’s baby to be born. And this morning, she was!!! God is SO FAITHFUL!!!!! Power of prayer RIGHT THERE my friends.]

I believe I got on a tangent, but I wanted to elaborate on teaching at the orphanage. So in my last post I explained I’d be helping teach the youngest children, called Nazarene (like pre-school or kindergarten) age. School finally started for them this past Wednesday. Raphael found a woman from town called Harriet who volunteered to help. When I met her, I found out her English is pretty good, although we still have some issues understanding each other. We’ve been doing school from about half past eight in the morning until midday. Well, let me rephrase. I don’t know what time Harriet gets there, but every time I get there (usually more like 9 o’clock) she’s already into the teaching. I think she just wants to start early because that’s what she’s used to (she has taught at schools in Uganda previously)?? I have a feeling no matter how early I get there, she will already be there, having started. Cultural differenceeeeees, welcome. The first day I was trying to explain to her that I wanted the children to play a certain game to name different colors. So obviously I explained it to her in English and I expected her to translate it into Jap, which is the main native language here in Tororo. But instead, Harriet just said the same thing to the kids, but in ENGLISH!!!! Ahhhh. Imagine my frustration slash confusion! Lol I didn’t know what to do. This continued for the rest of the morning; if I tried to ask her to translate something, she would just say it in English still. GRANTED, her English is the accent that the kids are going to understand much better, so that’s something, but still! Harriet really took over teaching; I just have been sitting a lot of the time; helping out when the class does an exercise; I’ve read them a few books, etc.

I went into this thinking I would have to do all the teaching, planning, etc and I would just have Harriet translate. I know we’ve just begun, so many things could change, but for now it looks like Harriet is doing most of the teaching and I am there as more of a helper. Which is fine by me (Beasley and Boling: uhh… uhhh…. Uhhhh… FINE BY ME!!!!!), I just want to help in whatever ways I can… and this is definitely humbling me. On Friday Harriet left me alone for about the last hour of class because she had to run an errand. So it was my first time alone, trying to teach in a language the kids don’t know yet. However, it went better than I would’ve expected. I spoke slowly and made a lot of gestures and pointed to things and eventually they got what I wanted them to do. We’re working on basic things like counting to 10, their alphabet, shapes, etc. I’m excited for what the kids are going to learn this year. I pray I’m not just helping teach them material, but showing them the love of Jesus every day. Pray I would have patience and kindness and compassion but also be disciplined and steadfast and persevering. I need it all!! :)

There are some verses that have really been in my head lately and I wanted to share a few of them with you, they’ve been really encouraging to me.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! / Psalm 34

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him… The steps of a man are established by the Lord and He delights in every detail of their lives. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand… Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land. / Psalm 37

Although the Lord has given you adversity for food and suffering for drink, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. / Isaiah 30


I wanted to close with another random batch of facts, just more things I wanted to share but for sake of not making this an essay I will just bullet point :)

-Bishop (my host dad) refers to me every day as “my daughter!” and it’s always in a joyful, excited voice. When he wants to talk to me in the mornings while I’m still in bed, he stands outside my door and says, “Yes, my daughter!” Haha I love it.

- I continue to thoroughly enjoy my host family. They’re so much fun, such kind people, so hospitable, so friendly, and just good to be around. I feel so blessed. So blessed.

- For those of you who know me well, you know I love rain. LOVE IT. And that hasn’t changed since I’ve gotten here, though it rains a lot, and the rainy season’s starting soon, and it will rain even more then! The only real annoyance is that sometimes when it POURS, everything stops, and everyone finds somewhere to take shelter until it calms down. I didn’t expect that. A lot of people fear being out in the rain because it tends to give people fevers, may make their malaria act up, etc. So far I haven’t had any issues with it, just really enjoying it! It really helps to make the weather cooler, and it’s just beautiful. When we get rain coming in from Kenya (which is what normally happens), you can see it slowly spreading over the mountains; they get foggy and start to blur, and eventually the rain is on top of us. It’s incredible.

-Anyone who has spent time in eastern Africa knows they LOVE watching music videos. I mean LOVE IT. Everyone from the 5 year old to the 50 year old. Mostly they are videos made in Kenya, and they are usually praise/gospel music. Everyone’s dressed in traditional clothes of the area and a lot of it is either in Swahili/Kiswahili or Luganda. People usually know enough of the language to get the gist of what is being sung about. (In my house, 80% of the time we are either watching music videos or preachers from the US. Last night I experienced T.D. Jakes for the first time. Mitchell – word to your mother. I love black people.)

- Trusting in God is a big thing here. When something that may seem impossible is asked about, the person will frequently reply, “We will trust God for it.” I LOVE the faith that is displayed among these people.

- ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the Lord’ are said HOURLY here, usually in the form of greetings. Most people upon meeting each other say either ‘Praise God’, ‘Praise the Lord’, or ‘Yesu Opaki’ which means Praise God in Jap, the local language. In church, ‘Amen’ and ‘Hallelujah’ are used exhaustively.

- Every Saturday morning all the young boys (and sometimes the older ones) of the family go to the family’s garden to help dig and plant and pick food, some of which the family uses to eat, some of which it sells to others to supplement income. MANY people here do this. In fact, most of the people who live in the surrounding villages use a garden as a main source of income. Usually by the time I roll out of bed on a Saturday at maybe 9 or 10, the boys are already back from several hours’ work at the garden. These people NEVER STOP WORKING.

- In Uganda there is a fruit simply called Jack fruit, not sure of the spelling but it is delightful. It kind of looks like an overgrown pineapple, it’s really an interesting-looking fruit. Anyway, there is a Jack fruit tree growing in the yard at the orphanage, and I have been given fruit from it several times. Let me repeat that. The people at the orphanage, who are barely getting enough food for themselves, continue to share food with me, who doesn’t need it. ARE YOU GETTING THIS?! Praise God for the hospitality and kindness that is found in the poorest of homes.


To anyone who still wanted it and didn’t have it, here is my phone number and address (see Matt Schenk, I have a real address! Not just a dirt road!)

Cell phone: +256 (0)785975575 [you may or may not need the 0, try it both ways. From Skype it costs 15 cents a minute to call this number.]

Address: Cathi Geisler care of Bishop Okello, P.O. Box 167, Tororo, Uganda


To close, I’d like to issue a challenge to every one of you still reading this. You’ve heard about what life is like here. You’ve heard stories of hard work, selflessness, compassion, and faith. My challenge to you is to try to live one day where you stop thinking about yourself. Stop doing things that only or mostly benefit you. Who can you help? Who can you encourage? Who can you serve? What kind thing can you say, in what way can you show someone else love for a day? For those of you who are Christians, this is not just a suggestion, but a command; to live in a way that is selfless and sacrificial and humble, forgetting about yourself and serving God by serving His people. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to SERVE, and to give His LIFE as a random for many. For people in Uganda, this is a way of life.


Won’t you follow their example?

more pictures!!!

my church here is also called LCC - Liberty Christian Center. God's flippin amazing.




host siblings, Regina and Fred. two of my new favorite people.





Eve, a neighbor's daughter. you'll be hearing much more about her. she needs sponsorship.




Me and Eve.