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