Christ Alone Is My Hearts Desire

It takes me about 20 minutes to walk to school everyday; it feels like I am in the movie, Slum dog Millionaire, kids playing in the trash, people bathing outside, it is an experience…Many of the University students also live in hostels. Africans walk so slow: They take every moment at a time. I have learned to live simply. I am getting to know myself, and understand my own culture from another perspective. One thing I am grateful for in American culture is the Egalitarian way of living. (Ex. In the States, we would think it was cool for the President to have a beat up car, because he is like one of us, whereas in Uganda, they would be ashamed if there President was driving a lower class car) Things are different. I am usually late to class; but so are my professors There are about 200 students in my Ethics class, and the Professor always points me out, since I am the only Muzungu. Thank you so much for your prayers! I am learning so much about missions here and what a better way to learn, than to be in Africa! The Lord continues to reassure my love for teaching in many different ways; by teaching my little sister English. I gave my first in-class presentation this past week and my Professor was half an hour late…It went great…Good times! My host mom took me to Kampala where she teaches, oh was that an eye opener! All they have is a chalkboard, chalk, and a room. She was amazed when I explained to her that in America, many Primary teachers use a “Smart-Board”. We are so blessed.

Things that were first trying have now become second nature. Like bringing toilet paper to the bathroom, using the squatty potty, putting in contacts without a mirror, bucket bathing, hand-washing laundry…

I am in Uganda not to change lives, but to be apart of lives. I am so used to going on short term mission’s trips and accomplishing a goal, something concrete, but all I have to offer during this period of my life is my time and myself. I am excited to see what the Lord will do with my willing Spirit. It feels like my first semester in college. New People, new places…I love it. When something is new; the Lord can teach me so much about myself and others. I am moving from selfishness to selflessness. The Lord is teaching me humility.

I took my little sister out for a day and we climbed monkey mountain and I had her experience eating Smores, she now is addicted to Smores We even cooked lunch; just the two of us. I am starting to love cooking! I thought it would never happen! But there is just more TIME in Africa, I enjoy cooking...I even cooked a meal for my family on Thursday, I made Chapatti (An African dish) and Hot Dogs (An American Dish). They loved it so much! It took about all day…by the time we had gone into town to get the food from the market and walked back home it had already been 3 hours and we hadn’t even started to cook, we finally had supper around 9, which is the normal dinner time here.

Last Sunday we had a family service at our house, and my host parents asked to me do the family prayer/sermon for that day. It went great; God is so good! My family sings and does prayer every night, they remind me so much of the Seibert Family Momma gave me my Ugandan name the other day, Nanteza, and it means to be humble and free. My sisters have also called me their albino sister, because I am white on the outside, but black on the inside...haha! My sisters have also taught me my new favorite word in the Luganda language, it is “Mukwano”, which means “my love”. After our family service last Sunday, we had a sister day where we went swimming at a local hotel. It was so much fun, even though I got burnt badly. I forget how powerful the sun is sometimes. At the pool, I saw so many grown men almost drown; it is crazy how in America we are used to swimming, where here it is a challenge. But I got to teach some people how to swim and it was so much fun! Friday was my last day with my family. Mom and dad “pushed” me to school, that’s what they say when they walk people places. They also say “Are you lost?” when they haven’t seen you in a long time. My last night with my family I gave them all purses I got at the dollar store back home and they loved it so much, and I gave my sister my last piece of trident gum and she chewed it all night and even had it after breakfast the next morning. Oh how the little things back home, go such a long way here.

Went to R-Kelly in Kampala on Friday, it was crazy and amazing. I felt like a true college student in Uganda All I have to say is that it was AN EXPERIENCE! We had our Honors college retreat this week to Lake Victoria and I partied with my College peeps. I saw the most b-e-a-utiful sunrise I have ever seen over Lake Victoria. We watched the movie, War Dance, a movie about the Acholi tribe and I was able to talk to some people from the Acholi Tribe, it is crazy to think I am in Uganda and talking with people who have experiences the War in the North. My passion for Invisible Children grows everyday. Today, things are becoming better in the North; many people are leaving the displacement camps and going back to their villages.

There are so many things I could say, but this is all for now! I can’t wait to tell you all my experience in detail and person…Love you all so much and thanks for all your prayers!

Prayer request- Health. I have been blessed with no sickness thus far and I pray it would continue as so.

Fav. Quote: “We cannot put ourselves in other people’s shoes; because we will always feel our own feet.”

Vanilla Twilight

Where to start!? Finished my first full week of classes at UCU! I am building many relationships with girls on campus and that is something I felt the Lord really wanting me to do this semester. It has been wonderful to have late night talks with my hall sisters.
Classes don’t really start on time here. A saying here is that “The Westerners have the watches, but the Africans have the time.” It is so true. Had a scavenger hunt in Mukono on Tuesday, it was great to get familiarized with the town, I feel at home already!
I have learned to appreciate silence. With all the busyness of life, silence is something many of us take for granted. I have also learned to live without control, because Christ is the one in control of my life!
We had our first Honours College party/orientation on Friday and it was so much fun! They asked me to lead in prayer in the beginning and by the end I experienced my first African dance party and I loved it! I even brought my laptop down and we hooked it up to speakers and some other USPers and I taught the Ugandans the Cupid Shuffle! It was so much fun! I love dancing, especially with my Africans! Oh and I have taken a shower everyday! I know; I hope you are all proud of me...haha. Oh the things we take for granted like showers, toilets, toilet paper, etc…even laundry is a major event in my life here!
I have joined some fellowships on campus and even joined the girl’s soccer team. Kenneth the coach invited me to come and I did, wow did I work up a sweat. I feel that they are like family already…there is 6 of us on the girls team and we practice with some of the guys on campus. They are so good! I also had my first movie in Africa, guess which one it was….AVATAR! I went with my African Avatar Crew…which is Trish, Edwin and Tony. I love them so much!
This weekend was the beginning of my two week home stay with a family in Mukono. I am staying with a family whose father is a reverend and whose mother is a teacher, just like my family back home! God makes me laugh sometimes! I have three sisters and one brother. Momma had me cut the vegetables and make chipotee on Saturday, it was so yummy. It is crazy dealing with the cross culture of my home stay, because western culture has influenced African culture so much. For example, we will be cooking over a charcoal fire and then watching lil Wayne music videos on their old TV. We finished up the night with a family meeting (dad you would be proud) and they welcomed me as a part of their family! I love them so much! It is so fun to have a family in Africa! My Sister, Rachel, showed me how to take my first bucket bath yesterday. Oh it is an adventure! Momma and I killed a couple cockroaches this morning too…I love Africa!
Everything here tastes better too, the pineapple, the bananas…etc…Went to church with my sisters yesterday, cooked with them and then finished the day having a dance party with them to…Mmmm Whatchya say! Good Times…
Love you all so much! Continue to pray for motivation for studies; it is hard sometimes to study because I get so consumed with my African adventure, I forget that I am here for school too!

Ps. Not to mention the stars! They are so beautiful here!

Faith, Hope, Love

I am safe at Uganda Christian University in Mukono, Uganda!!

Oh Africa…the smell, the people, the welcomes…and the things Americans takes for granted such as hot showers, clean drinking water, food, internet, and MIRRORS. There is not one single mirror in our dorm and I love it!

I had expectations coming to Uganda, some implicit and others explicit. Some expectations were to grow in my understanding of Christ, expand my love for the body of Christ, live outside my comfort zone, and make sacrifices. I thought about expectations in the Bible, both the Israelites in Exodus and the Disciples in Mark had expectations. For the Israelites they wanted deliverance and the disciples wanted a King and they got what they asked for, but they didn’t like it because it’s not what they expected. I pray that as the Lord gives me what I ask for I would stay positive in my reactions.

I was woken up by my Ugandan girls today at 7am. No more sleeping in for me! I went around the town of Mukono yesterday with my new friend, Lucy; she showed me where we could get ice-cream! I was so excited to have a little taste of home. The meals here consist of beans, rice, more beans and more rice. I have come to love the G-nut sauce, which makes the rice taste like “candy-canes at Christmas”! I was talking to my friend Alan today about what he thought about Americans. He said they are more about programs than people and more about personal development, than the development of others. This made me think twice.

I am so excited for this semester to start! Classes start tomorrow at 8am, but everyone is on African Time, so it will probably be around 9am!
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT 2010 HAS IN STORE, BUT I DO KNOW WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE. (The theme of church today) Ps. I love church in Uganda...singing, dancing…

May the Lord continue to bless you and thanks for all your prayers!

Today Is The Day

Today is the Day I leave Oregon and go to Africa. I am excited to be witness to all of the Lord’s wonder, love, and grace over these next 5 months in Uganda. I can’t wait to experience Ugandan way of living. I ask for you to pray for safety while traveling especially. I want to tell you all thank you so much for all your love, prayers, and support. I will hopefully be updating my blog at least once a week so you can all know I am still alive. Many of you wanted to know my mailing address so here it is. (They recommend letters; no packages)

Sarah Seibert
Uganda Christian University
Uganda Studies Program
P.O. Box 4
Mukono, Uganda

I love you all so much and I can’t wait to tell you all about UGANDA! The Lord is amazing and His love endures forever. {Psalm 136}

Ps. My Cell Phone will be out of service until May 1st…