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.

Rodney

Turns out Rodney does indeed exist. Who would've thought? My little brothers found 3 dead mice throughout the house and it turns out the rodent in our bedroom was just a mouse-Henry. I haven't seen anymore mice since then, but I doubt they've all gone. As for Rodney, I definitely saw him scampering across our dining room. We tried to barricade him in with plastic tubs, but he took refuge behind the china cabinet. This was on Thursday.

Friday night Kathy let out the most epic scream from the kitchen. Dale, distantly followed by Laura and I, ran to come help-Laura brought her panga and I took up a plastic dagger I found on the floor _the joys of having. We meant business. Somehow Rodney was cornered and forced under the door that leads outside to the generator. Dale shoved towels in the crack so he can't get back in. It really was a bit anti-climactic- especially after hearing about how at one point Ruth single-handedly dominated 6 mice in the pantry- but I'm thankful that he's gone, at least for the time being.

The Girl Who Cried Rat

We've had a rat (Rodney) in our house for the last week or so. (Or at least that's when it's existence was made known to me.) Two days ago Christina saw Rodney in the kitchen, scrounging for food. She squealed, and the "peanut butter" was put out. I didn't give much thought to Rodney since then until last night when Christina spotted him in our room running from under our desk to under my bed. This was around dinner time, so the boys checked it out and called our room clear. We went about the evening as normal, ate dinner, did the dishes, read, journaled, etc. We started to get ready for bed when Christina let out another yelp. She had seen something run from near our bathroom to behind our laundry basket. At this point in time I was seriously considering that Christina was hallucinating, since she had been the only one to see Rodney in the whole house. We had Daddy Dale come check things out, and sure enough, Rodney was no where to be found. Once again, I dismissed it and stared to brush my teeth. Suddenly I heard Christina scream again and Laura gasp and I knew it must be real this time. I found myself standing on top of the toilet seat, as I was very near where he had been spotted. Dale came back in and checked things out, but Rodney had seemingly nestled himself behind a plastic bin in our closet. We moved the peanut butter into our room, should Rodney fancy a midnight snack. I'm still a bit iffy of Rodney's existence, since I still have yet to see him and I'm thinking this scenario seems an awfully lot like the boy who cried wolf. Sadly, when he's really there, I'm doubtful I'll believe anyone. Only time will tell.

A Typical Day in Uganda

does not exist. I'm convinced that nothing we have done since we've been here is "normal", at least in the eyes of most Westerners. I'm finding that everyday is an adventure, quite literally.

Of course getting here was quite the adventure-a lot of flying, a lot of layovers, a lot of driving and little sleep. Since arriving in Mbarara on Wednesday I have eaten a grasshopper, milked a cow, cut a banana leaf with a panga and shucked beans. I experienced an earthquake the other night (don't worry, don't worry-it did zero damage: just rattled the windows a bit, but we didn't even feel it). It's rained everyday we've been here, which means a lot of mud. Everday we drive reminds me of being in the desert of New Mexico, only there we would offroad for fun, here it is a part of life. I've also learned far more than I could ever share.

Since the first day we've arrived, we have been in intensive training-meeting the team and learning their roles, learning the culture, talking about evangelism in ways that are appropriate with the culture, and diving into the language with 1.5 hour sessions everyday.

I am convinced that this is not just another STM (short term mission) trip. I am so thankful and pleased with the emphasis on learning and studying above any "doing". The long-term team here is fabulous and care for us so much. I've rarely felt hospitality like this.

I would share a typical day here with you, but so far I have not had one.

uganda time (for real this time.)

Sitting in Detroit waiting to board the plane to amsterdam. From there we head to Entebbe, then to Kampala for the night at Dr. K's then to Mbarara. Once in Mbarara we dive into intensive training-language, culture, etc. Then we'll have a job fair to see where we'd like to be placed for the summer.
In Uganda the local time is 1250 am. We're all feeling the effects of little sleep. Some are sleeping on the floor, others are in their own little world and others are slap happy, giggling hysterically.
I don't have much else at the moment. Were boarding now. I'm looking forward to sleeping on this stretch of the trip and getting further into the Screwtape Letters.

Uganda Time.

In just 3.5 hours I will be waking up to go to the airport. It's crazy to think that it's finally happening. I've been preparing for this trip for months now and I can't believe it's nearly here. I'm so excited to see what challenges, adventures and joys lie ahead of me these next 10 weeks. I will definitely be posting as I get the opportunity.

Downsizing

Moving out always makes me realize how much I have. I'm the last one left in my room (tear) but there's still so much clutter.

So I've decided to downsize. By half.

It's just stuff after all isn't it? Clothes I never wear, movies I never watch, a guitar I never play, books I've already read. Stuff. Crap, really.

I don't know when people decided we needed more stuff to make us happy. I've been finding that the more I have, the more stressed out I get-more things to lose, more to be responsible for, more to find places for. I just don't need it.

So my goal is to get rid of half of it. Now that I have the room to myself, I think I'm going to take this time to take inventory of what I have and get rid of it. I want to be able to fit everything in the 3 bins I'm allowed to store at Covenant and the 2 suitcases I have. (Obviously things like the guitar, tv dinner table, tv stand, the carpet and my chair won't fit in those bins, but everything else should be able to.)

We'll see how it goes. I know it's going to be a big project and it will probably be difficult, but I think it needs to happen.