It is with the most inspiring blend of relaxation and contentment that I curl up in my bed, tuck my mosquito net into the edges of the mattress and settle in for a night of writing. While I begin this update in the comfort of a cozy grass roofed cottage an hour outside of Kampala’s dirty city streets, I will most likely finish this update in a sweaty, crowded Internet cafe in town.I’ve been in Uganda for a little over month now, and each day seems to overflow with an ample supply of successes, struggles, lessons and memories. But it’s far too exhausting to try to commit them all to writing, so look’s like you’re just getting the highlights...some good, some bad and a few ugly. Go ahead, snuggle in with me. This entry is a long one. Grab a cup of tea or coffee or a cold soda, a piece of pie or a hamburger or a slice of pizza (oh, I miss pizza!), and read on...
The good. Where do I begin? Ah yes...samosas! While I do tend to crave some of the comfort foods from home, being here provides me with a whole new menu of food to crave when I am in the states. Samosas are by far my favorite...triangular fried meat pies stuffed with green onions, spices and ground beef, wrapped in a flaky crust. But then there are all the fresh foods that make our grocery store produce sections a really elaborate joke. The pineapples, mangos, bananas, and grilled maize are amazing! There’s also the African tea with milk and ginger—Shelly’s specialty. And let’s not forget the chapatti—it’s basically a glorified tortilla, thick and delicious! Food is always something that fascinates me about cultures, and Uganda is no different. I’m still trying to master the skill of eating with my fingers—yes! it’s a skill. Some of my friends here can eat sauces and all without dirtying their fingers. It’s a gift really. Now, don’t get me wrong, I use silverware when I’m at restaurants in town, but on days at Christopher House with the kids it’s fun to try out my finger eating, although I am still failing miserably. I’m a complete mess by the end of the meal.
More good. Every afternoon I teach creative drama. Four local schools have enrolled in extra curricular activities through Christopher House. Many schools cannot afford to hire teachers for art, music, sports or drama, so the schools have been going without this element of education. Now, CHM has opened its doors to 4 schools with the hope of eventually partnering with up to 12 schools to offer these extra-curricular activities. My biggest group is made up of 40 students on Tuesday, but my most wildly fun group comes on Fridays—all girls! We have been having a blast! Each child was given the opportunity to select one class for this school term. We have about 100 students from each school and each school comes on a different day. And I have around 80 students who chose reading and creative drama. So far we’ve played acting games, learned new emotions and even put them into practice (on Tuesday I had 40 kids acting tearful...it got quite loud! Furious and frightened are also class favorites to act out), and we’re reading story books galore! On Wednesday, the class actually groaned when I told them class was dismissed. It is beyond thrilling to introduce a love of learning and see it ignite in these children! And I haven’t even talked about the hugs...for the first few weeks they were bashful, resistant, unsure about my attempts to love on them, but now they run through the gate straight into my arms. They even line up for hugs before they leave. Even the boys have grown accustomed to hugs and high fives. While it may be a tiny part in the day, I feel, in those moments, like a channel of God’s love to the lives of a few kids in this little corner of the world.
Still more good. Though the Bible study with the teenage girls hasn’t become a place of honest or open sharing yet, there is an energy in that space that offers me hope that there is much for these precious girls to learn and much wisdom for these girls to offer one another. These young ladies are quiet but strong, reserved but insightful. I have so much to learn from their wisdom. One of these girls has endured sexual abuse, one is battling cancer, and another is learning to care for her mother who was recently diagnosed as HIV positive. At such young ages these girls have faced the fierce and cruel reality of life. They are survivors!
Bible Study Boom...So, I had to add something before I send this off for you to read. I met with the girls today, and they simply glowed with interest and excitement for the Bible Study. We talked about the women surrounding the birth of Moses’. We explored the fears they might have had. One girl suggested that Moses’ mother might have worried that the basket would tip over in the river or that someone would find him and kill him. Another suggested the fear that Miriam might have had by running along the river alone. What if there were snakes? They each explored these characters in varying ways, but what a beautiful tapestry of ideas and insights! It felt like a break through. I found out from Zalia, one of the older girls whose depth of insight always catches me off guard, and she told me the silence in the last weeks was from the girls’ fear to speak English. They are so timid , and when speaking of emotions and depth, they simply communicate better in Luganda. So, we did some fun translating tonight, but everyone contributed something to the discussion! They argued that their answers were wrong, and yet each answered with such creativity. Next week I think they want to teach me some new dance moves. Pray that I don’t humiliate myself...
The bad. With brute force HIV/Aids seems stronger than ever. One of our staff members at CHM was diagnosed as HIV positive as was Sylivia who does the house keeping out at Shiloh where we stay on the weekends. They are both single mothers, and one of them is caring for 7 children. With malaria, flu and the common infections around, everyday living can be a threat to their survival. Pray for these women to be strengthened and sustained, loved and encouraged.
It is such a gift to be here in Uganda. The more I am here, the more I feel drawn to return. I continue to pray for God’s guidance as I serve here until August. And in a spirit of gratitude and humility, I ask that you join me in praying for:
1.Sylivia and Edith’s healthcare needs, their adjustment to living as HIV positive, and that God would bring comfort where there is anxiety, peace where there is fear
2.the staff at CHM—Shelly, Enoch, Elijah, Fred, Rami, Rita, Sylivia, Christine, Abdul, Dick, Helen, Vincent, Edith—that God will continue to strengthen the bond that grows within this ministry team, and that God would equip them for the demands of the new school program.
3.the students who are coming to CHM from local schools...that they would encounter the love of Christ in what they are learning and in the teachers who instruct them
4.Shammim. At 17 she is living with a cancerous tumor growing inside her head. She is in the care of hospice while she waits for the cooperation of a US hospital and the Ugandan government to issue her visa.
5.Pray for the health of all of us who work at CHM. First, I was sick with worms, then Abdul with intense migraines, then Enoch with malaria, then Shelly with worms. Pray for healing and fresh energy for the work ahead.
6.Lastly, pray with me as I discern God’s calling in ministry. Christopher House feels like such a beautiful fit with my gifts in ministry, but I desperately don’t want to misunderstand God. I’m asking that God slap me in the face with the right timing, task and direction, so I’ll be unable to confuse anything.
I am continually strengthened by your presence in my life. For your love, your support, your prayers, I am forever thankful.
For Now,
This is Alisha on Location
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