Uganda so far…

Day 1 – I arrived on Friday, May 30th with no problems at all. Traveling was good…it was a long trip, 30-ish hours in all, but I enjoyed the experience. International airports are sweet places to hangout and listen to the way people talk. My aunt and uncle met me at the airport when I landed in Entebbe, Uganda and we drove the most interesting drives of my life. The things I’ve seen while driving through Kampala have been absolutely absurd - some of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen. The roads themselves are ridiculous – every trip I feel like we’re going off-roading, but we’re traveling on the city’s main roads. I’ve seen many heartbreaking things along the road – it’s unbelievable even the worst that we could think of in the United States is so much better in quality than what the average Ugandan has. Anyway, we made it and my family kept me busy to keep me awake. We went to Heritage International School (my cousin’s school) for the final chapel of the year and later, the graduation. I was warmly welcomed by several missionaries and their families as well as the other VIA’s (volunteers like me). I got all settled into the room that I’m sharing with my cousin Emilee; she’s a pretty sweet roommate. It was a long and exciting day, but I was thrilled to finally make it to my bed that night.

Day 2 – I spent all of Day 2 at Makerere University in Kampala volunteering at the Passion Conference. It was incredible, absolutely amazing!! To see over 20,000 young Ugandans praising God with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmon, and Charlie Hall was such a blessing. The energy of the crowd was wild. Louie Giglio gave his “Astronomical Grace” message, which I had never heard before. I was floored by the facts and my own miniscule role in even my own life. God is BIG! I had so many interesting encounters at Passion, and in each of them I saw that God is revealing himself to people here and they are responding in love. It was an amazing day. And hot – wow the sun is hot in Uganda!

Day 3 – My first Sunday in Uganda, we went to Katale Africa Gospel Church, a small congregation nearby. I didn’t understand much, even though there was a translator, but I did see the passion that the pastor had for arming his congregation with the Scripture. It was empowering! And the worship service was alive! I loved it. The afternoon was spent hanging out with my family and then attending their small community group of mostly WGM missionaries. While the kids went to Sunday school, I got to have some time speaking with the missionaries about just what led each of us to Uganda and more than anything else, I saw that God just wants our willingness and that His plans are so much greater than ours. Later, we all got together and ate with a team of students from Kentucky that will be here for the next week. It was a packed day.

Day 4 – Today I went with the team and a couple missionaries to a place called Good Shepherd Home, a home for displaced people – the people that no one will take care of. This place was the home of orphans, children and adults with disabilities, and the elderly and it was both a heartbreaking and beautiful experience. I really don’t have any words to describe this yet – it was just intense. We spent time with the children mostly. I definitely plan on going back there later on and will share some more about Good Shepherd. The afternoon was about helping Aunt Dee with housework and preparing for hosting the team for supper. We went to several Uganda grocery stores to get all that we needed. It was fun. I’ve had a great time hearing all about the way things work here in Uganda from Aunt Dee and Uncle Kenneth and the kids. Nothing really surprises them anymore, but they have some crazy stories to tell. I love that I’m getting to spend time with my family. The night was spent with the team and my cousins…fun! I’m learning so much about what life emerged in another culture involves.

So this is just a short rundown of a few things that’ve been happening as I experience life in Uganda. It really is a beautiful country and many people are very friendly. I’m learning and experiencing things that I’ve never before and I’m loving it! There’s been so little extra time. I see that life here demands definitely demands flexibility. This week I’m spending a lot of time with the team that’s here. Tomorrow morning we’re leaving for Bavuma, (an island in Lake Victoria) where we’ll do 2 days of VBS. We’ll be spending the night on the island, which will be interesting – definitely going to be a story to tell…I’m excited!

Love from Uganda,
Heather