Meet the Team

This post has been saved in my drafts for about 3 weeks. I knew I wanted to introduce the team, but I didn't want to until I knew them better. So here are some of the people that I've been spending all my time with:

Papa Dale and Momma Kathy
are my host parents. Dale is the team leader for the team here. They have 3 boys Micah, Ben and Zach. The more time I spend at their home the more I admire them. They've already had a ton on their plate without having to worry about our team, but their love and patience has been amazing. I've had pretty lengthy conversations with at least one of them almost every singe night that I've been here. It's been a blast living with them and being welcomed into this family. My little brothers are wild and crazy. We've had several sword fights (I almost always lose) and they have twice now, done us girls a favor by killing and cooking the roosters that would crow right outside our window.

Mike and Susan
Mike focuses on pastoral training. Every time he speaks, I love to listen. He's a wellspring of knowledge and has lots to offer. I've learned so much from him already and can't wait to hear more. Susan is one of the sweetest, most genuine ladies. She is leading a study with the GETS girls that seems to be very helpful for them.

Uncle Joel and Auntie Jill
They quickly became some of my favorite people, despite all the times they pick on me (and I'm not just saying that because I know they'll read this). They are definitely some of the most real, honest, open, casual people I've met in a long, long time. Joel eats napkins-literally. It's a condition. We're praying for him. Nurse Jill is the go-to in te unhappy event I ever get mango flies. (shudder) They've got 2 kids-Dara and Dade-who, for whatever reason, think I'm pretty cool. I'm their favorite, but I'm not supposed to tell anyone.

Zillah
I'm learning loads of new vocabulary from this Brit. She works at the hospital as a physiotherapist. She's had some crazy adventures, including backpacking to northern Uganda with just a change of clothes, hitchhiking in matoke trucks, riding ostriches and climbing Mt. Everest twice...barefoot. When she's not trying to sell me off as a way to fundraiser, she can be pretty fun.

Matt and Crystal
They are very strong people. They are here with Juna Amagara Ministries and started ABIDE, a ministry for young men who are in break between secondary school and university. It's an intensive discipleship program with outreaches to different villages every weekend. Matt and Crystal also foster abandoned babies. Crystal is 7+ months pregnant and has 2 toddler boys and until recently fostered a 3 mo. old baby who was orphaned at birth. They are a beautiful family with gigantic hears.

Seb
Also a Brit, also tries to sell me off, also teaches me new vocab. He's definitely got a sense of humor that can have even the most boring people in stitches/tears. (I've never cried so many times from laughing at the most inappropriate times then when he's around, especially when he and Joel team up.) He works with ABIDE and is here on a 1 year assignment, but has just decided to come back long term to work with teenagers.

Travis
Also works with ABIDE. Travis is here for 6 months. He's pretty much redeemed my view of Canada that Josh has lost. I think we actually became friends when I decided that he, Seb and Dale needed some female company in their car at Queen Elizabeth. We are now at the point where I feel like I can tell him when Quest (or any other animal) drinks from his mug. Once ABIDE is over he'll either be working in Tanzania or Sudan for his last month.

Lou
She just left yesterday to head back to the UK. She worked at the hospital in the lab and also led a session at GETS (that I will be finishing out). She probably had the best fashion of anyone in Mbarara. She is very independent and very adventurous.

Tob
I didn't actually believe that he existed until just recently. he was sick for the first 2 weeks that we were here. He's a medical student from Germany that was working in the hospital but will actually be going back home soon. Once I started to get to know him a bit, I've realized that he is actually very funny.

Words could not descibe what this team means to me. They have reshaped my idea of missions-it's not all evangelism and crusades, it's people being people with people. It's messy and hard, but it can definitely be fun too. They have poured themselves into me and opened their homes. I am so thankful for their hearts, hospitality, honesty and humor. I've literally been in tears at the profound way that I've been shown the gospel by them. They have encouraged and challenged me in ways that I'm sure they don't even realize. I am so thankful for my family here.