African Muzungu

Almost every day I have the joy of introducing various people here to 'Muganda wange,' which translates to 'my sister' in Lugwere and Luganda. The common response is almost always, 'Yes! For sure, you resemble!' (aka, you look alike:) ). The many commentaries that have followed have been priceless! Showing her off to all my friends and acquaintances has been so much fun! This is a joy that I have longed for since the very first time I came to Uganda in 2003.   Over the past 5 years of living overseas, I have found that living in a totally different culture and environment from my friends and family in the States can certainly lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Struggling to describe especially the small things that make my life so different here can be frustrating to the point of not even wanting to try. Things like… making sure the water filter is full all the time so if water runs out, at least we have drinking water… maneuvering the the p...

Many of you know the incredible anticipation with which I was looking forward to my sister, Michelle spending the summer here in Uganda with me. Let me tell you, the reality has been even better than what I thought!!! Michelle has been here for over a month, and I still pinch myself to make sure it’s real. Her coming has been so timely in so many ways I couldn’t have anticipated… for example, I’ve spent an inordinate number of days sick the past month. The whole first part of the year I was doing so much better with sickness that I usually do, but the past 2 months a variety of different illnesses have knocked me down numerous times. Michelle has been a champ, not only in going with the flow and quickly adapting to the variety of paces ministry in Africa brings (everything from break-necked speed to sick-induced standstill, and everything in between), or even caring for me when sick, but also covering for me and taking up my slack at school when I’ve been down. She’s been so great ...

For the past year, HUM has had a trip back to the States to help do support development planned for me. So everything was set for me to leave on the 5th of October, until British Airways announced they were canceling all flights to/from Uganda effective the 3rd or October. I was definitely more than a bit shocked since I’ve been flying BA since I started coming here as a kid. But they were good about reworking my itinerary and got me rescheduled to be on their last flight out of Entebbe. Little did I know that would be only the first hump in the road to me getting back to the States. Amidst the usual craziness of handing over all my other responsibilities to other people, packing, and wrapping up all the final details, I was told there was also a problem with my visa. 6 days before I was supposed to pass through immigration and get on a US bound airplane, I found out that my visa had only been forged. This after all the commotion of having my passport stolen, then having it replaced, t...

Everyday I go to school, I say many words, I laugh and smile, and tickle and hug, and exhort and discipline. All of it with one purpose: to make these children know that they are loved. By me, and by Jesus they are so very loved. I know each of their names, and I know their personalities. I know which ones are weak in reading, and which ones are super competitive. I know who is picking on whom, and who has a quick temper. I know them, because I WANT to know them. Because Jesus has given me such a big, uncontainable love for each one of them I am compelled to know them and long to know them better.  However, these children aren’t used to being shown affection. And there are few people that really know them. Many of them have either dead or absent parents. Many of their guardians are more concerned about what to eat for the day than about asking their kids how school went or playing with them. And although I can tell you that “Nkutaka ino” means “I love you very much” in Lugwere...

It’s been so hot here. Uncharacteristically hot. We’re in the end of an elongated dry season that has left each of us here begging Jesus for rain. Water sources around town have been drying up, and the city regularly turns off water in order to conserve it.  In Kamonkoli, city water didn’t reach the village for over a week. And even when Pastor called to get the fire engine to bring water from Mbale, they said they couldn’t pick water from dry sources. People in Kamonkoli would line up for hours at the wells waiting for their turn to fill their bright yellow jerrycans. They have really suffered.  In town, with my big water tank perched on top of my roof ready to collect water every second the city has it turned on, I really have had nothing to complain about. Yes, we’ve had days that water ran out and bathing became a luxury instead of routine, but on the whole we’ve done fine. It’s the heat that’s been the biggest challenge. After weeks and weeks of praying, today...

It’s only 7 more days until I’m on a plane back to Uganda. After 9 months, it hardly seems possible. People keep asking me if I’m ready. My answer? Not yet. But that’s what the next 7 days is for, right? ;) I knew these last weeks would fly by fast, as they always do. And as always, I’m left scrambling till the end! But I think I should be packed more than I am. I’ve only been doing it for 9 months!   I can’t remember ever being so nervous-excited to go back. There is so much I’m happily anticipating and thrilled about, but as you might imagine, there’s also a good bit of nerves. I know there are awkward, painful reminders waiting for me when I get there. I’ve seen some of the hard, the painful, the scary of being on the front lines of ministry, and I know things don’t necessarily just get easier from here. But I have walked with Jesus through suffering, and I know I just have to look beside me to find Him there again. I’ve never had to do that so constantly ever before in my ...

People say I’m brave for living in Africa. I don’t feel brave. In fact, a lot of times I’m downright scared. Before moving to Uganda, I had several major fears that I recognized and had to purposefully surrender to Jesus. The list wasn’t very long, but included on that list were an assault and being rejected by people I so loved. It was a bit of a shock to realize that 2 of my major fears came true within months of each other. I’m not going to lie and say that I realize now that I had no reason to fear those things. Let me tell you, actually experiencing them was just as painful as I had feared. The loss, grief, depression, anger, and deep aching pain were all very real. No, I don’t believe God tells us time and time again “Don’t be afraid” because there is nothing to fear. On the contrary, there is so much to rightfully fear that comes from living in a broken world and surrounds us every moment. Loved ones agonize through cancer. Jobs are lost. People lie and stab us in the back....

If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,                                then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually     and satisfy your desire in scorched places               and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a well-watered garden ,      like a spring of water,             whose waters do not fail . The words from Isaiah 58 washed over my soul as I sat in a worship session at Thrive, a retreat for missionary women last week. The phrases ‘satisfy your desire’ and ‘be like a well-watered garden' sat heavy in my spirit. I grabbed...