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. **