A taste of Kampala

Twisting, diving, taunting; a flurry of wing, leg and potential disease. The mosquitoes in Africa are very different from those in Canada. They supersede their North American counterparts in speed and agility, therefore making themselves more deadly – never mind the Malaria factor. When you do chase one down as it lazily flies away, you realize all too late why it drifts so. The red stripe on net or pillowcase tells the gruesome, yet victorious, story of gluttony punished. Lesson learnt: Best to stay under the mosquito net.

(The humor here is that, just after I wrote the above blog entry, one such mosquito somehow managed to sneak inside the net that surrounds my bed. Two bites and five attempts later, it met its bloody death. New lesson: Beware! African mosquitoes are as smart as they are quick.)

Inviting Change

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” ~ John 15:1-2, 8

This week has been wrought with worries about hotel security, a virus in my computer, and a draining sickness that sent me to my bed for almost two full days. In these trying circumstances, I have found myself questioning why I am here, although I am ashamed to admit it. Sure, I am here for my required internship, but beyond that… What is the bigger purpose? What is the big picture?

Thankfully, the always faithful God has been patient with me, listening to my struggle and calming my heart. I believe that he has great – no, amazing – things in store for me here; things I could not learn elsewhere; changes that could only come through what I learn and experience here in Uganda. So, tomorrow is a new day. But, even better, today’s not looking so bad anymore. I invite change and I welcome the pruning. Have your way, God, that you might be glorified. Let them see that I am yours and desire you also. Amen.

War in the Congo

The Congo is in upheaval once again, and for me, being in Africa, it is hitting closer to home than ever before. Issak is from the Congo, but is studying here in Uganda. Today at church, he shared of how the rebels had reached his village, just a few days ago I believe. Two rebels went to his father’s house and demanded certain items from him. When his father couldn’t produce what was asked of him, one of the rebels became angry and decided to shoot him. The rebel planned to shoot him in the leg, but God spared both his legs and his life; the shot went right between his legs. Let us praise God for his goodness towards Issak’s family, but let us also pray seriously for peace in the Congo and for Issak who is away from his family at this terrible time.

A taste of Kampala

Imagine walking into the food court at Seven Oaks or your local mall. Do you have a picture of it in your mind? Okay. You walk from restaurant to restaurant, eyeing the food, asking the occasional question, and eventually purchasing what you decide upon. You then find a seat in the oversized dining room and enjoy your meal.

Now, come with me to the food court in Kampala, Uganda. The first thing you do is to find a table to sit at. But, before your bum even hits the chair, a group of six or seven people come over and present to you the various menus for the restaurants represented in the food court. These restaurant employees hover around you, suggesting different dishes and answering your questions about the food. Once you have decided, they take your order and bring it and the bill to you in a timely manner. Overwhelming? A little. Personal? Yes! Jim explained to me that here they very much value relationships…and I must believe it’s true because I experienced it in the food court of all places.

Week One - I have arrived!

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:1-2

Yes, it’s true…Kampala is my new home for the next 8 months. My hotel room offers quite the view. I find it cozy, and I am almost used to the sound of the traffic, the seemingly hundreds of frogs that awaken at night to sing, and the rooster that wakes up the neighbourhood at 4:00 am. But, I have yet to become accustomed to the eerie laugh of the Eastern Grey Plantain-Eater, the squawk of the Hadada (think irritating crow :), and the neighbour’s dog that whines excessively. Anyways, below is a brief overview of my past few days…

*I arrived in Kampala early on Sunday morning, and we drove straight to the hotel so that I could change for church. Jim (the pastor I am serving under) was preaching in a slum church that morning, and we were already a little late. My favorite part about the service was when the Sunday school class sang a song to welcome us visitors to their “churchee”. It was beautiful. After the three hour service, I shook more hands than when I was in the receiving line at a wedding. I felt very welcomed there.

* Luke (another volunteer from Canada) and I went to the day shelter for the street boys. I had learnt just the day before that these boys were older than I had expected, ranging from 9 to 18. I was a bit nervous about this…yet, despite that and my exhaustion from jet lag, it was a great time. I spent the majority of the morning talking, laughing and playing games with four boys – Awali and his little “brother” Abraham, Fred and Joseph. They even prodded me to sing to them and to tell them a story. I told my abridged version of Max Lucado’s “You are Special”. If you haven’t read it, you should. It is an amazing story about the love of “Eli” or “Mugezi” (wise) for those he had created, despite their faults or how others viewed them. They listened intently, their faces openly echoing the pain and joy experienced by “Musiro” (stupid), the main character. When I finished, I asked them who they thought Mugezi was. Yes…it was God. Amazed that they had caught this correlation, I asked them who they thought Musiro was. They were silent then chuckled when I said it was us who were Musiro…stupid. Isn’t it true though? We all do stupid things; we steal, we disobey, and we are unkind to others…yet Mugezi still loves us. They understood, and I was humbled. Oh that you could have seen their faces… I pray that they would know Mugezi’s deep love for them.

* I rested and visited with Kappy (Jim’s wife). The change in time and altitude are taking a while to adjust to. The loneliness also set in on Tuesday, but God was faithful to provide some encouragement through a knock at my door and a card delivered from Kappy. He is with me, and I am very thankful. I also began my language lessons. Luganda is a beautiful language and I am hopeful that I will learn to speak it with some ease.

***Wanting to pray? *I have only been with the boys for one day so far, but I do pray that they will know God’s love and that reconciliation with their families would be possible. *For myself: That my heart would hurt as God’s does for his people here in Uganda, for my personal safety and for that of my belongings (more that I would learn to leave these things in God’s hands instead of worrying about them), and for what looks to be a problem with bugs in my bed. Not sure what kind they are…but they sure like to nibble on me.

Don’t worry…every blog shouldn’t be this long (although I am not making any promises). It’s just that my journal and my computer are two of my closest companions right now; they never get tired of listening, so I forget that you may. Thanks for reading the parts that you do.

A few IMPORTANT updates

1) It has come to my attention that I mistakenly put the incorrect address for ACTION on the majority of my Staying Connected letters. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. (All cheques mailed already will be returned to you.)

Here is their new mailing address:
Action International Ministries
3015A 21st St. NE
Calgary, AB T2E 7T1

From the States:
Action International Ministries
PO Box 398
Mountlake Terrace, WA
98043-0398USA

2) I have also been informed that, because of the recent devaluation of the Canadian Dollar, the amount of money that I need to provide for my internship has increased by 20%. I now sit at $1350 CDN/month, but this can still fluctuate depending on the markets. I humbly ask that you keep this in mind as you read my letter and bio and decide in which ways you would like to be involved in my journey.

3) I now have my own page on the ACTION website. Simply go to www.actionintl.org/spring. Here you will find my bio, all future pictures and newsletters, and the ability to donate online. Do check it out. :)

Thanks for reading all this info. Love to you all.