Where do I start? Last time I wrote it was Valentines Weekend. Time flies when you’re in Africa..haha. So during Valentines weekend the Lord did the most amazing thing. Only in Africa would a rat go under my legs and I would drop my laptop and it would break. So in other words, my laptop is no longer working but it is alright. In many of my classes we are talking about poverty and how possessions don’t matter. It is easier said then done. But when something actually happens you have a chance to match your believe with your behavior. I did. For my possessions are not mine; but the Lords. And He was proving a lesson that I hold too much value in my material items. Everyday is a learning experience. Now I spend most of my time on the Internet in the computer lab with other UCU students and I love it, I would have never gotten to experience the computer lab and meet the people I have, without my laptop breaking. I love Africa…where there are bats in the bathroom and rats in my room. Not to mention last night the power went out, while I was taking my cold shower. My roommate rescued me with the flashlight. I love Africa.
Valentines Day was amazing. Had a dinner date with the Guild Pres and some other peeps and then joined Honors College for a late night dinner and dance party. We also watched the Proposal. It was a great time.
Every week I go to Chain and Salama and work with the children and those that are blind. I was able to teach a geography lesson to P7 at Salama and I used a topographical globe so the blind students could feel the different continents and we sang the “continent” song. I love teaching. At the orphanage, chain, I had my first fried goose egg and had a track day with the kids. I love being able to volunteer in the community.
I love my UCU friends. Stopped by my friend’s room just to say hi the other day and I ended up staying for two hours having porage (that tasted like Cream-of-wheat:) and tea. I love Africa. I also have started to baby-sit for a professor’s family and it is a highlight of my week. I play drums while I sing with the children. And then I am able to watch movies on their TV. It reminds me a little of home!
So for 10 days I spent my time in rural Uganda in Kapchorwa, which means, place of friends. It is in the Northeast part of Uganda. It was one of the best times since I have been here. I stayed with a family where my mom was a teacher and my dad was a farmer. And I had three little siblings, two brothers and one sister. There were two things among many that made the week in Kapchorwa amazing. First was every morning I would wake up and bathe outside under the sky. It is like an outside shower and I would just watch the clouds and the sky as I bathed, it was amazing, I’m sure the local cows saw me (T.I.A.). Secondly, every night mom put me in charge of bathing my little siblings. So every night outside I would give my three little siblings bucket baths, I felt like a true African momma. I loved it. My momma let me help her cook (I love how in Africa it takes 3 hours to prepare a meal and in America it takes ½ an hour), fetch water from local water hole, repoop the house (every Saturday my mom would add more cow poop to the floor, because our house was made out of mud, I’ll put up pictures), wash dishes (right by the chickens), wash my siblings, sweep the house…etc….it was a great week to experience the “true” African way of living. During my ten days, there was no electricity, no running water, no showers, no toilet, no TP…all the things we think are essential to living in America, there was non. Yet during those ten days I experienced the simplicity of living without the worries of material things. I loved it. Everyday I ate Chapatti; my favorite food in Africa. Church service in Kapchorwa lasted 5 hours. I laugh to think that people in the States start looking at their watches after two hours. Another highlight of my week with my family is when I brought Oreos for my family. I bought the Oreos in Kampala the week prior and saved them to give to my rural family. Wow. I gave my family the first Oreos they have ever had in their life. They loved them so much. It was a joy to see their happiness in the simplicity of having Oreos. And how in America we take so much for granted.
Everything is b-e-a-utiful. From the rainbows after it rains, to the clouds as I bathe, to the stars as I sleep.
Poverty is in the eye of the beholder. My family did not live in poverty; they were never hungry, but lived simply. No TV, cause of no electricity. No toothbrushes, cause of no sugar intake. No material worries, cause there wasn’t any. No deciding what to wear, cause there was no option. No time, cause of no watches. No bedtime, cause it is when the sun goes down. We cooked dinner and I journaled every night by lantern. I loved not having a “schedule”, just living every day at a time. Some days I would never know what time it really was. I also treasured the communal aspect of Africa. I sometimes wouldn’t know who was family because everyone treated one another as family. The children loved touching my arms and playing with my hair. I also haven’t eaten so much cabbage and drank so much tea in my life. I also spent one day with my host mom at her school. It was truly an opening experience to what life is like being a teacher in Africa.
My whole mindset of missions has changed. It is not about accomplishing a task any longer; but about building relationships.
On my last day in Kapchorwa I went to visit the neighbors, my dad dropped me off and said he would be right back, it wasn’t until 5 hours later he finally came to take me home. It was one of the most trying times because I was out of my comfort zone and I wasn’t expecting to be there that long, but during those 5 hours I was able to show the love of Christ to the neighbors and it was amazing. For the Lord taught me a lesson, The lord is my father and sometimes he will put me in places that I am not always comfortable in, but he will use me to be a witness and always care for me in the end. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS WEEK IN AFRICA. My family in Kapchorwa does the same things my family in America does (cook, laugh, worship, clean), but they just do it differently. My life seems so small now that I have seen how others live in the world. (While I am eating at Aramark next year, my host family will be eating beans and rice in their mud hut).
After our home stay we had a weekend of debrief and we were able to hike through the three main Waterfalls in Kapchorwa. It was amazing, I felt like I was hiking in middle earth. It was a 6 hour hike and I worked off all my chapatti:) I was also able to make coffee, I will never buy coffee at starbucks the same anymore.
When I arrived back from my rural home stay I found out I was going to be an RA next year (Chikaste Yesu) and I was so excited and celebrated my going out rolling with some of my honors peeps. Also, I have been handwriting all my papers in school…it is an adventure. Laundry is a three-day ordeal, because sometimes it rains at night and my favorite hobby is to iron while listening to my ipod. Found out I got an A on my first African paper and I took my first test in Africa on Tuesday in Ethics. I love all my friends in Ethics. We all study together. My Friend Trish, got a tattoo and I have been helping her with it. It’s an outline of Africa and I love it. This weekend USP has taken some field trips to the local Islamic Mosque and I was able to speak with some Muslims. We also got to go to the Local AIDS support organization and talk to those who are HIV+ and I was able to hear one woman’s testimony. Difficult, but amazing.
Passion fruit is my new favorite fruit. I have taught ninja to honors college and they love it. I dress up in banana leafs with other students and run around campus late at night and scare security regularly (Nate this reminds me of you). I love Jesus. I love Africa. I love you!
Thanks for all your prayers: I am getting better from the cold I caught in Kapchorwa. Continual health and motivation for schoolwork.
PS. Tomorrow is Women’s day = a public holiday in Uganda= no school = Partay
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Rolling is my new favorite thing to do in life.
I can’t believe it has been over a month since I have been in Uganda. It seems like only yesterday I arrived off the airplane in Africa. I am finally just staring to feel like a college student. Just finished an 8 page paper for my East African History class and I used no internet! Can you believe it!
I love how open they are here. Every time you have a bible study or a church service they always have a time for testimony, to share what the Lord is doing in their life and there is always people willing to share. They are always so passionate about the word, especially the preaching, it reminds me of my daddy.
Many of you know the saying, T.I.A. from Blood Diamond, but it has become the saying of studying abroad; it means This Is Africa. We say that to a lot of things here, for example let’s see how many people we can fit in a taxi, T.I.A., hard wood seats; T.I.A., no one wears seat belts, T.I.A., oh there is a rock in my rice. T.I.A., every morning cold showers, T.I.A. Good times! Tea time is my favorite time of the day. I always seem to meet someone different everyday at tea. UCU is a very big university, so it is fun to be able to meet different people everyday. Even though UCU is such a big university they have their education system set up in a very communal way. For example my ethics class has 200 students, but then we meet in tutorial groups which consist of 30 students, and then we also have the option of meeting in smaller study group consisting of about 5 students. I have come to love this way of learning and I love my study group, we help each other understand the lecture and they help me understand the similarities and differences of African ethics and my own. Soccer has also become my family. I can only go twice a week, because of my volunteer work, but every practice is so much fun.
I take afternoon naps with my Ugandan neighbor, Agatha almost everyday. It gets so hot in the afternoon here, so naps are required. For my practicum class I am required to work within the local community. The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to work at an orphanage and a school for the Blind. The School for the Blind is called, Salama, and I am actually learning Brail. My guitar 101 from last semester is paying off too, because I am teaching a blind boy, Nathan, some chords on the guitar and he loves it. God is so good! Being an Ed major, it has been a blessing to be able to be placed in a school and see how education is over seas. The other place I volunteer at is an orphanage known as, Chain, and I am just loving those kids and spending time with them. I love the simplicity of life in Africa. I don’t have a car, so I walk everywhere. I only have 5 outfits, so it doesn’t take long to choose an outfit. Life is SIMPLE.
I love Honors College. It is where I am housed on campus. As I was writing this blog, I had to stop because my girls and I had to chase a bat out of our common room because it had flown in. Good times! We usually have movie nights on Fridays. We get a projector and play it on the side of our dorm and have movie nights under the African stars. It’s my favorite thing to do besides rolling. Like I said in the beginning rolling is my new favorite thing to do. So at Corban we go for late night taco bell runs, well in Uganda we do late night rolling runs. We walk into town and get an omelet that is wrapped in a chapatti; it is called a Rolex; so we call it “rolling”. It is so much fun and not to mention the yummiest thing ever. Its only 800 shilling, which is like 40 cents in America; even cheaper than TB! I love Africa. I love college.
My sister surprised me and visited me at college Monday night. It was great to see her. I miss my host family, but am glad to be back on campus as well. I spent all of yesterday (Friday) in Kampala and went to some Ugandan markets and than went to an all night youth praise and worship at Watoto Church. I went to Watoto Church on Sunday and they said to come on Friday and I and 5 others went. IT WAS AMAZING. It was from 9pm until dawn (6am). It was wonderful to see youth in Africa so passionate about their love of Christ. It was a great night to return to my first love; which is Jesus. I am starting to feel like a true Ugandan…
There is so much more to say, but that is all for now.
Praise: The Lord’s protection through travel.
Prayer Request: I am getting a cold. I think it’s because I have been to too many all night praise and worship services and movie nights in Uganda:) But have been blessed that I have had no serious health problems so far.
Ps. Happy Valentines Day and I love you all so much! I can’t wait to tell you all about Valentines Day in Uganda. My roommate and I are going out to dinner with some friends and then having a later dinner, movie night and dance party with Honors College. The guys in Honors are cooking dinner for the girls. It will be fun!
Also This Friday I am going on a two week rural home stay. So I will be out of communication for two weeks. I love you all so much and thank you for your prayers.
I love how open they are here. Every time you have a bible study or a church service they always have a time for testimony, to share what the Lord is doing in their life and there is always people willing to share. They are always so passionate about the word, especially the preaching, it reminds me of my daddy.
Many of you know the saying, T.I.A. from Blood Diamond, but it has become the saying of studying abroad; it means This Is Africa. We say that to a lot of things here, for example let’s see how many people we can fit in a taxi, T.I.A., hard wood seats; T.I.A., no one wears seat belts, T.I.A., oh there is a rock in my rice. T.I.A., every morning cold showers, T.I.A. Good times! Tea time is my favorite time of the day. I always seem to meet someone different everyday at tea. UCU is a very big university, so it is fun to be able to meet different people everyday. Even though UCU is such a big university they have their education system set up in a very communal way. For example my ethics class has 200 students, but then we meet in tutorial groups which consist of 30 students, and then we also have the option of meeting in smaller study group consisting of about 5 students. I have come to love this way of learning and I love my study group, we help each other understand the lecture and they help me understand the similarities and differences of African ethics and my own. Soccer has also become my family. I can only go twice a week, because of my volunteer work, but every practice is so much fun.
I take afternoon naps with my Ugandan neighbor, Agatha almost everyday. It gets so hot in the afternoon here, so naps are required. For my practicum class I am required to work within the local community. The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to work at an orphanage and a school for the Blind. The School for the Blind is called, Salama, and I am actually learning Brail. My guitar 101 from last semester is paying off too, because I am teaching a blind boy, Nathan, some chords on the guitar and he loves it. God is so good! Being an Ed major, it has been a blessing to be able to be placed in a school and see how education is over seas. The other place I volunteer at is an orphanage known as, Chain, and I am just loving those kids and spending time with them. I love the simplicity of life in Africa. I don’t have a car, so I walk everywhere. I only have 5 outfits, so it doesn’t take long to choose an outfit. Life is SIMPLE.
I love Honors College. It is where I am housed on campus. As I was writing this blog, I had to stop because my girls and I had to chase a bat out of our common room because it had flown in. Good times! We usually have movie nights on Fridays. We get a projector and play it on the side of our dorm and have movie nights under the African stars. It’s my favorite thing to do besides rolling. Like I said in the beginning rolling is my new favorite thing to do. So at Corban we go for late night taco bell runs, well in Uganda we do late night rolling runs. We walk into town and get an omelet that is wrapped in a chapatti; it is called a Rolex; so we call it “rolling”. It is so much fun and not to mention the yummiest thing ever. Its only 800 shilling, which is like 40 cents in America; even cheaper than TB! I love Africa. I love college.
My sister surprised me and visited me at college Monday night. It was great to see her. I miss my host family, but am glad to be back on campus as well. I spent all of yesterday (Friday) in Kampala and went to some Ugandan markets and than went to an all night youth praise and worship at Watoto Church. I went to Watoto Church on Sunday and they said to come on Friday and I and 5 others went. IT WAS AMAZING. It was from 9pm until dawn (6am). It was wonderful to see youth in Africa so passionate about their love of Christ. It was a great night to return to my first love; which is Jesus. I am starting to feel like a true Ugandan…
There is so much more to say, but that is all for now.
Praise: The Lord’s protection through travel.
Prayer Request: I am getting a cold. I think it’s because I have been to too many all night praise and worship services and movie nights in Uganda:) But have been blessed that I have had no serious health problems so far.
Ps. Happy Valentines Day and I love you all so much! I can’t wait to tell you all about Valentines Day in Uganda. My roommate and I are going out to dinner with some friends and then having a later dinner, movie night and dance party with Honors College. The guys in Honors are cooking dinner for the girls. It will be fun!
Also This Friday I am going on a two week rural home stay. So I will be out of communication for two weeks. I love you all so much and thank you for your prayers.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
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.”
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.”
Monday, January 18, 2010
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!
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!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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…
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…
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Lord's Guidance...
I am sitting in the Computer Lab...in Salem Oregon...in my Ed Tech Class.
Thinking about how I will be....sitting in Uganda in less than 58 days...
Thinking about how I will be....sitting in Uganda in less than 58 days...
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