Water and School

Last weekend I decided that only one time going white water rafting was not enough! So what did I do? I gathered a band of people who were as crazy as I am and went again. There was a kayaker who went ahead of everyone else with a camera and took some sweet pictures of everyone, and I have about 65 pictures of our group but I’m going to try and put one up here so you can understand the awesomeness of the Nile.
I finally picked me classes for Messiah this upcoming fall. Boy am I going to have a hard semester, but it will be worth it. I figure I’m going to take advantage of my education and try and learn as much as I can cause when will there be another opportunity to gain a liberal arts education again? Probably the year after this one, and the next, but then what? Haha. In addition to my Politics and International Relations major I decided to add a Peace and Conflict Studies minor, so don’t be surprised when I am asked you readers to pray for me next semester when I have a ton of stuff due! Thanks in advance.
Also… school is ‘starting up again’ because work is starting to get due again! I had about 2 weeks of hardly anything but it’s almost finals week. Wow did this semester fly. Fortunately enough, it’s not quite over! I’m gonna live these next few weeks as much as possible, so I apologize in advance if I don’t blog too much anymore because I’m doing stuff here instead. BUT I promise to tell anyone who wants to listen – any story you want to hear!

Last week

Last week was crazy. I added the amount pages done, and I did 27 total pages... ugh. But the good news is everything is a coast until finals from here on out pretty much. I'm just glad I got it all done.
This past weekend was AMAZING! I spent friday with some of the guys just hanging out being MEN and it was refreshing. Then we went to Jinja to go rafting down the white nile. Yes you heard right I went rafting down the white nile! the rapids would be converted to a class 7 in America (which is nonexistent). It was amazing time just being students and being able to relax with each other without having meetings thrown on us by the staff. Also had some great conversations with my buddies Julianna and Dave. Yeah everything was sweet.

Some things I learned durirng Rural Home Stays

I recently got back from Soriti (a district in Uganda) where we spent 10 days and lived with a family in the rural area in Uganda. It was one heck of an experience so let me tell you a couple things I learned
1. You MUST eat seconds - if you look up from your plate that means you're hungry. Be prepared...
2. Free time = relaxing in silence with each other
3. All vehicles respect the speed limit - there is none
4. Flies are your friend - if not you'll be swatting ALL day. Mom... you'd hate this place
5. Baby goats are now my favorite animals. They are hilarious to watch
6. A good way to encourage a cow to move is to drop kick it
7. All Ugandan men are interested in American women (i.e. a question that was poised - "How easy is it to get a white girl to marry you?")
8. Even the dirtiest bathroom back home doesn't compare to their 'latrines' aka holes in the ground
9. Ugandans get "Jonda" from riding in cars - "Jonda" it means an immense joy
10. Football (soccer) is king
11. Running water has a new respect when you carry two 15 liter jerry cans 1/3 of a mile 4x
12. Unripe oranges are better than the best oranges back home
13. Running around like a headless chicken has new respect when you actually see it
14. A moonless night is still bright from the stars
15. People who have less material things usually have more spiritual things

That's about all I can think of. Also waterfalls are seen better when you're underneath of them for future reference.

Kampala

Yesterday we had class and because we had the remainder of the day to do whatever, I went into Kampala (the capital of Uganda) and had a great day! First I had lunch... a salad and chicken alfredo. AMAZING! Then we went to the craft market, and I got a ton of stuff for family, friends, etc. So if you are my friend you'll be happy! I probably spent about 100 US dollars for stuff that would have cost 250-300 dollars back at home. Then I had dinner, and ate a fruit salad and a pizza with a couple of friends. Just an all around great day! AND there's a guy doing IMME (which means they stay at a home instead of on campus like I'm doing) and he's just had a really rough time so he's moving in with me and my old roommate moved out to a Ugandan's room. So if you ever pray for me, pray for my roommate 2x! He needs it. He's a nice guy, just having a difficult time. Thanks!

Jinja

Simply put - I found the Garden of Eden. It was by far the most amazingly beautiful place in the world. Hmm, I'm not sure if I have said anything about this. Well this weekend I went to Jinja (a city in Uganda) and we stayed at this place, which was practically a resort. If it wasn't for the malaria ridden mosquitoes, or the disease filled water, it would easily be top 5 places people visit. We went on the Nile river and we got to take some awesome pictures. I wish the internet wasn't so slow so I could post some for you, but I'm afraid that everyone will have to wait. Everything is so great, but please continue to pray for me/my family/my friends cause I mean who's ever heard of too much prayer?

Great day

Today has been great. It started off by getting rolex’s (a sort of egg burrito not an watch haha) for breakfast from my host mother. They’re amazing. Then Julie called me – always amazing. It’s so nice to hear from her and to hear she’s doing well. After that I went to politics and we are talking about methods people look into for the developing world. This stuff is soooo interesting. It’s weird, because I’m excited for classes haha! For lunch we had ‘irish’ (just buttery Irish potatoes), and pineapple. That means deliciousness. Now I'm planning on going into town to buy a couple of things which is always an adventure. And we go to Jinja, a city near the source of the Nile tomorrow and I’m really excited. We stay at this semi-resort place and get to explore the city. I’m so pumped. Everything is just going well. No complaints. Thanks for keeping me/my family/friends in your prayers!

Relevance

Today in our Faith and Action class we talked about how different cultures have very different ways of approaching things. So once again I found out how westernized I am. Everything seems to point to that fact that your faith should be relevant. Like it's hard to tell a mother in Africa who has 7 children and only 4 reach adulthood that God has a plan. Or a german pastor that the Nazi's will be overthrown someway somehow eventually. I agree that faith needs to be relevant but I'm afraid that we are getting to the point of asking God to bless our work when He has work for us that's blessed. It's just hard to differentate between the "Law" and the "Spirit of the Law". Good thing I've got 4 months to figure it all out.

Classes

Today I had 2 classes. Which is really nice. BUT heres the deal - in my ethics class my professor made a very poor analogy. He was talking about homosexuality and said it's a horrible thing for people to do. He said it was so sad because even animals such as dogs do not have sex with the same gender. I was very taken back. First off it's comparing apples to oranges. Dogs and animals in general (except dolphins)only have sex when they're 'in heat'. They do not have sex for pleasure. Should we humans mimic that behavior? Also they have multiple sex partners. There's countless of other examples against his argument. My classes in general are revealing the differences between African culture and Western culture. I'm learning that I'm VERY westernized. I'm also learning about certain ways to approach things in context, how some things are appropriate here and not in America. So yeah it's definitely taking time to get used to. P.S. Pray for my dad he just had surgery on his arm (he's a big baby... just kidding). Thanks

Content

Lately I've been very content about a lot of things. Pretty much everything! It's because everything has been falling into place just the way I'd like it to (or close to it).
I live now with Mami Joyce, a local lady who takes care of Rob Osbourne and I. The food is AMAZING. We are only there from 7pm-7amish. Then go for classes and return. She takes care of us so well. It's like having my actual mother (Don't worry mom you're still better).
Everything with Julie has been going well. We had our 1 year anniversary in different countries which kinda sucks but so far even though we've physically moved farther, we've grown closer. I've learned how much I appreciate her, and I try to tell her as often as possible!
My friends here are pretty awesome. They're nothing like the people back in Coatesville, or at Messiah, but they're the best substitute I could ask for. There's an intern - Phil and he's sooo cool. He's so awkward when he has to make announcements but he's just that guy who everyone loves and no one could humanly hate. And another guy down the hall - Dave, hes really smart and has pretty similar dreams and aspirations as me. We've had some good talks. And Rob we've gotten much closer b/c of our homestay. He's soooo interesting because he's just sooo off the wall, against the grain, and he has a reason for being different too. All the people here are genuinely nice and caring.
Classes... well classes will be classes but I've tried to take a note from best guy friend Mike last semester and try to get a 4.0. I'm still trying to learn as much as possible (learning is more important than grades), but I think the two can work hand in hand. I just got mostly done a paper do for the 30th so I feel pretty accomplished.
Yeah so everything has been great. The temp is about 70 and there's a cool breeze. Can't get much better (unless my family was here :) ).

Opening of Eyes

My clothes smell. Not just normal, "uhh ok put some cologne on it" or spray it with some frabreeze but like smell of sweat and dirt… So I have no other choice but to wash them. Where’s the washer and dryer here? Where can I deposit my $1.25 and leave for 38 minutes only to return and put in another $1.25 for it to do the work of drying? I find nothing other than 2 empty tubs, a bag of “OMO” powder detergent and a clothes line outside.
I hear there is a workout gym on campus. That’s awesome because I need to start training for cross country and a good weight lifting session is definitely due. I met a couple of my Ugandan buddies down there and told them they could tell me all the workouts I need to do. Upon entering the room I notice a total of 4 benches, 1 machine, and random weights throughout the room. Not even dumbbells are found. At Messiah we complain when there are more than 1 person to an area, here there’s 5. I look down almost embarrassed of my grumbles at home and observe their footwear. Only 3 people, including myself, have actual running shoes. Out of a room of about 25 men only 3 have good shoes? About 7 have regular school shoes, another 10 have sandals (flip-flops) and the rest have no shoes on. How can even begin to complain about how many miles my shoes have on them?
I know I have only been here for a week to the day but I have already a new sense of humility. I feel like I some sort of responsibility to give back to those who were not as fortunate as me to be born in the United States. In 4 months I will leave this place, hopefully with a new respect, new outlook, and new goals on and for life. “Through no virtues and accomplishments of our own, we have been fortunate enough to be born in the United States under the most comfortable conditions. We, therefore, have a responsibility to others who are less well off."

Bizare Bazaar's

Wow the past couple days have been awesome! Sleep has gotten normal and classes are starting to become regular for me now. I have figured out that the internet connection is too slow to post pictures so I’m sorry but you’ll have to wait until I return in four months to see the awesome pictures! I went on a picture hunt yesterday and took some awesome sunset pictures, and just stuff around campus. There is a bazaar on campus and boy is that a ton of fun. Here in Uganda you bargain and barter for your prices. For example there was a shirt for 25,000 shillings (worth about 14.00) and I asked the lady how much and when she told me the price I said “No way there’s a shirt over there for 13,000 shillings!” So she said “How about 17,000” and I said “I can do that.” All together I got a pair of sandals, a traditional African shirt, a dress and necklace (for my sister, and of course I already lost the necklace), and a purple purse, that is awesome looking, for Julie. I’ve just really enjoyed the past several days. Everything has been falling into place. Also we had a Bible study for the guys on the trip and it was awesome to open up and talk to some of them about stuff going on in our lives. It’s cool to have a ton of people praying for my loved ones because it gives me so much reassurance that God understands how much I care for them. Yeah so far so good. No complaints.One more thing... this is going to be scary. So after much debate, my friend here - Dave - has convinced me to join the cross country team. Boy is this going to be interesting. I believe it will be good for me because it is going to take a good deal of humility going there after not running for 3 months and try and start running with a bunch of Africans. I figure this will be better in the end. Delayed gratification right?

Classes rain and phone calls

So jet-lag is killing me... I finally fell asleep about 5am here! Only to wake up at 7. It's weird because for the lack of sleep I still functioning fairly well. I had my first classes today! They are all going to be fairly interesting. My politics class (I think/hope) is going to be awesome. It's like the reason why i wanted to come here. We'll be reading stuff all about Uganda and Africa and what can be done to alleviate its poverty. My history class is pretty weird cause the prof is really funny and crazy but that's also how he teaches. I think that's gonna be a little hard for me. And my Faith and Action was okay. I think it has potential to be good but I also think its going to be rather hard with a lot of reading. It rained crazy today. It didn't stop pouring for like 30 minutes. At one point it was hailing! I'm excited to see what the rainy season is like except I'm also afraid that it's going to be like that all the time. I had a good long phone talk with Julie tonight. It was really good. Keep her in your prayers as she gets ready for Costa Rica! Yeah so all in all a good day. I hope to be going to bed at about 10 pm here (less than an hour) so lets hope I also sleep then too!I have some benadryl to 'encourage' me to sleep tonight. I can only hope for the best!

Here

Wow so I'm finally here! The plane rides were tough though. The service was great, but boy was I packed in! My butt still hurts from sitting for that long. When we finally arrived at Uganda at 9:30 Friday night I couldn't find my bag... of course! So me and two other girls waiting in line to get it all figured out. As I was waiting the airport people asked the girls (who were ahead of me) to give a phone number to call when the bags arrived. Luckily my great mom gave me a card with Mark Bartels number (he's the director here). So when I went up I had to go over to get the card back from my new friends, and another girl told me she brought over my bag while I waited. I told her I already had my bags, then I looked and saw my 'missing' bag! I apologized to the airport service woman but I was really happy to have found my bag. Now today has just been orientation. I'm getting acquainted with the whole college and everyone here. It's soooo beautiful (I'm going to put pictures up on facebook). We went on a hike up 'Monkey Hill' and saw Lake Victoria, the city of Mukono, and several red tailed monkeys. The food, the people and the experience is great! Keep up the prayers for me, my family and friends! Thanks.

So today Julie and I packed everything and talked to Mike and Mollie (they are my friends from Messiah who are studying in England already). I realized that I'm going away in what... less than 2 days? I'm so pumped and excited but at the same time, I'm unsure of what to expect. I guess that's why they call it a leap of faith, not a tip toe of comfort.