Christmas Activities

Merry Christmas! Celebrating Christmas in another country has been a similar experience, yet different. First of all, Uganda is heading into their dry season, which means that the weather is getting hotter all the time (not your typical Christmas weather). That makes it especially strange to me to see Christmas trees and blow up Santas being sold by street vendors as we are driving around. Some stores are playing Christmas music and selling the typical Christmas decorations: lights, tinsel, ornaments, etc. The selection is notably scaled down from what you’d find in the States.

At my house, my roommates and I have put together our own Christmas trees. One was more a Christmas bush, the other is kind of like a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, but they’ve got character!



The Christmas Bush






Charlie Brown Tree







I’ve been part of several Christmas celebrations over the past week: Children of Hope Christmas party with the kids, COH staff Christmas party, and the Kampala WorldVenture missionary Christmas party.

At our Christmas party with the kids of Children of Hope, we helped decorate the church. Ugandans like lots of color in their decorations…and we definitely made the church colorful!











I also baked 4 dozen sugar cookies for the kids to decorate and eat. When we were telling the kids what to do, we discovered that they had never decorated Christmas cookies before! It was fun watching them pile frosting on and get creative with how they decorated.






At our staff Christmas party we sang Christmas carols, played a game, and ate a ton of food! I always like hanging out with everyone outside of the office. It gives us a chance to connect on a different level and enjoy each other’s company.

The highlight of the WorldVenture missionary gathering was decorating Christmas cookies. Each person drew a name out of a bowl and then had to decorate their cookie to look like that person! It was quite entertaining!


Here is me with my cookie look-a-like.




We also played some games, sang carols, ate food, and watched, It’s a Wonderful Life.

On Christmas, I went over to a friend's house for breakfast, and then I attended a Christmas service at church. Afterwards, I spent time with my roommates and other friends. We made a ham dinner (quite a feat I'd say!). We opened presents, and had a nice time just being together. I also got to talk with my family in the evening.


Holly, Jonathan, Catharine, Kate, Megan, and Phil


Being away from family has caused me to look closely at why we celebrate Christmas. As nice as it is to spend time with family and friends, sing songs, give & receive gifts, decorate like crazy, and eat a ton of food, it truly is about the birth of Christ. God valued humanity so highly that He came to earth as a baby—to experience life as a human. His time on earth, culminating in His death and resurrection, made it possible for us to have a relationship with God. On Christmas we celebrate the fact that Jesus was given to us by God—such a supreme act of love and provision of hope. I pray that the peace and joy of the Lord may fill you on this special day!

Gulu

On December 3-7 I traveled up to Gulu with five other members of Children of Hope in order to put on a training for the Mentors up there. Gulu is about 200 miles north of Kampala, and because the roads are so bad, it takes nearly 6 hours to get there! The roads are filled with potholes and speed bumps. In some stretches the potholes are so numerous and deep that you have to slow down to a crawl to get through them. You are constantly driving on all sides of the road in order to avoid as many potholes as possible! Speed bumps are used to control traffic. Often, at the beginning and end of towns there will be a couple of HUGE speed bumps to make sure you don’t fly through. Unfortunately those speed bumps are not well marked, and we have hit a few at full speed—talk about getting jarred a little! One part of the road has almost 200 speed bumps (my roommate Megan counted them), each spaced about 30 feet apart. I’m not sure why there are so many, but it definitely adds to the adventure of driving.

Gulu is a town that has been deeply affected by the rebel group, the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army). The LRA has raided villages, kidnapping and killing many as well as stealing all the food. Thousands and thousands of people have fled their homes and been relocated to IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in pursuit of safety. The IDP camps are crowded places to be. Huts are built nearly on top of one another. Clean water, food, medical care, and other basics are not always available. Thankfully, the situation has greatly improved in the last couple of years, with the LRA involved in peace talks. People are hoping that the fighting might be finally over at last and some are thinking it might be safe to begin moving back to their homes. I am praying that they are correct.

Children of Hope has a site in Koro Abili, one of the IDP camps located about 3 miles outside of town. We have about 170 kids who are sponsored in the project, half of which come from child headed households (families in which the oldest child is taking care of his/her younger siblings because their parents have died). Children of Hope owns a piece of property in Koro and has built a feeding center there. This feeding center serves the kids two meals a day: breakfast and dinner. (The schools give the kids lunch each day.) On the weekends the feeding center and its surrounding field is used for a Saturday program for the kids. Each day, the area is open to the kids to come and hang out, play football (aka soccer), and relax.






Some kids hanging out at the feeding center.




We did a two-day mentor training. Mentors are at the core of Children of Hope.




Here is Catharine, the director of Children of Hope, sharing with the mentors the background, history, and vision of the project.





They spend the most time with the children and have the most influence on them. We want them to be able to do the best job possible to affect the kids for good. We talked about things such as: what Children of Hope is all about, how to have a personal relationship and personal devotions with Christ, mentorship, the Biblical view of children, how to communicate with children, and some basic health/first aid training.





Here are some of the mentors discussing things in a small group.







Practicing how to wrap a sprained ankle.





The mentors drank in all the information and were excited about all they had learned. I enjoyed meeting the mentors and getting to know them a bit. They taught me some Luo, the language that is spoken up there. A couple of days after Christmas I will be heading back up there again, and I’m looking forward to meeting the kids and spending time with them.

Driving

Yes, that is right, I have started driving in Uganda! Very cool! I had my first driving lesson on Sunday, December 2nd. My roommate Holly took me to a quiet neighborhood so I could get used to things a bit. Driving on the left side of the road is strange! When you make right hand turns you have to cross traffic, but with left hand turns you don’t. The blinkers are located on the right side of the steering wheel and if I’m not careful I turn on the windshield wipers instead! After driving for awhile around the neighborhood, I drove home. It was a light traffic time of day, but even so, I think I did pretty well. I didn’t hit anyone or anything at least. Look out Kampala, here I come!

On Parade

Africans are fascinated with foreigners. Everywhere we go, be it Adjumani, Rwanda, or even Kampala, people (the kids especially) come out of the woodwork to line the road and watch us pass by. Shouts of “how are you?” constantly follow us. Groups of kids come tearing out of the brush in order to catch a glimpse. They are constantly smiling and giggling, and when we smile back, wave, or respond, “I’m fine. How are you?” it makes their day. I feel like I’m famous or something. It’s rather fun.

Cockroaches

Do you all know that cockroaches can fly? Well, I didn’t. Not until tonight, that is. I was minding my own business when, out of the corner of my eye, I see something fly into my room by my garbage can. Thinking it was a moth who had lost its way, I get up and look around but can’t find it. Later, I’m hand-washing some of my clothes and I hear a sound from my garbage can. Oh, I think, the moth must have flown into the garbage can. So, I gallantly decide to take the moth outside and let it go free. As I am carrying the garbage can over to the door, what pops out, but a ginormous cockroach! It surprised me so much that I practically threw the can out the door! The cockroach landed on my screen door, and then proceeded to fly BACK inside. Totally freaked out now, and very thankful to be wearing flip flops, I smashed him as fast as I could. Now, as the adrenaline fades, I’m wondering…are there more? Do cockroaches travel alone or in groups? Will I wake up in the middle of the night with a cockroach staring me in the eye? What other creatures are lurking around that I haven’t seen yet? The fun things you discover while living in Africa!

Escaping CHOGM...Visit to Rwanda

CHOGM stands for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings. The Queen of England, 5,000 delegates, and 30,000 other people were expected to invade Kampala on November 23-25. Mass preparations have been done to welcome everyone: new hotels, road improvements, etc. These meetings happen once every 2 years in different locations. Uganda is making the most of her opportunity. Because of this, all is chaos! Last Thursday and Friday were declared national holidays. The streets of downtown were shut down. Some residents were told either to plan on staying inside for the entire time meetings are going on or to leave, because no one is coming in or out once things begin. Traffic, which is normally a nightmare, was going to become even more unbearable.

So, I escaped. Catharine, Megan, Holly, and I went down to Rwanda for a week in order to avoid the mess. We stayed with some missionary friends who live down here: the Bennetts. The trip from Kampala, Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda takes roughly 10 hours or so. We split it up by making several stops along the way.

Our first stop? The Equator!!! Yes, I can now say I have been to the equator. I have stood in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere at the same time!



Crossing the border was an interesting experience. There was no warning that the border was approaching, we just kind of came upon it. There wasn’t even a sign once we got there; just a bunch of people, parked cars, some guards, and a gate across the road. Getting through the border took several steps: Ugandan immigration to get our exit stamps on our passports, Catharine had to prove ownership of the car, Rwandan immigration to get an entry stamp, and another building to buy insurance for the car. Luckily we made it through relatively quickly and with no problems.

Rwanda is a beautifully complex country. Kigali is a bustling, growing city. The countryside is full of green, rolling hills with farms in the valleys. The people are friendly and welcoming. Yet, the genocide of 1994 still greatly impacts the country, though they are trying to heal, move on, and leave it all behind. Genocide memorials are everywhere…in nearly every place a huge massacre occurred. I was able to go to two of these memorials: the main one in Kigali and a small one at a church in a town called Nyamata. Both were sobering and deeply impacting. The memorial in Kigali gave an overview of the history of Rwanda and the events that led to the genocide. There were pictures of those killed, clothing and other possessions, skulls and bones, and mass graves where many are buried.












Mass graves where the remains of many are buried.




At the church, 5,000 people were slaughtered: men, women, and children. Many things have not been altered: the doors that were wrenched open, the holes in the ceiling from bullets and grenades, broken windows, bloodstains on the altar and walls. It was hard to be in a place where so many lives were brutally taken. Even now I can’t comprehend the evil, the pain, the horror, and the devastation of the genocide. Entire families were wiped out. People are still discovering the remains of those who were murdered. Rwandans wear purple as a memorial. They also proclaim, “Never again,” as a kind of theme. I continue to pray for their healing, reconciliation, and restoration.

On a lighter note, I greatly enjoyed my time in Rwanda. I celebrated Thanksgiving while I was there (with turkey, pumpkin pie, and everything). The friends we were staying with hosted the meal and invited over many other missionaries who live in the area. The house was packed with people and food. Even though I was far from family it was neat to see God provide other friends with whom I could fellowship and celebrate.

I was also able to travel out west to a beautiful lake, Lake Kivu, and spend a couple of days relaxing and hanging out. The town where we were staying is located by an active volcano. I was able to see the steam rising from the volcano during the day and see the glow of it at night!
















Holly, Me, Catharine, and Megan enjoying the beach at Lake Kivu








And, now that it is after Thanksgiving, I have been singing Christmas songs and watching Christmas movies. I have to admit, though, it is strange to be singing, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” while it is eighty degrees outside. I might have to change it to, “I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas” or something…

Adjumani

Well, I hit the ground running. On Friday I flew in a little 6 seater airplane with Catharine, Megan, and Francis up to a town called Adjumani. The flight up was beautiful! Uganda is so green. Normally we would drive, but it has been raining heavily in recent weeks and the road is in terrible shape, strewn with cars and trucks that have gotten stuck. The trip should be a 5-6 hour drive, but the by-pass road that now has to be used would take us 12-14 hours! So, we were very glad to be able to go by plane.

The town of Adjumani grew up around the Sudanese refugee camps. There are perhaps 20 in the area. The city only provides electricity for 4 hours a day: from 7-11pm. Children of Hope has a site up here. Almost 150 students are enrolled in the project. While here we met with the site coordinators, the mentors, and some of the students. I am glad for the chance to meet the students and get to know them a bit.

Things take longer here in Africa. I’ve attended several 4+ hour meetings! Relationships are extremely important here. So, in meetings, things happen deliberately. Much time is given so that everyone has the opportunity to speak and share their ideas/concerns.

In Uganda, things are pronounced and phrased differently: At our hotel, Catharine is staying in a Suite (pronounced ‘suit’). I had fish fillet for lunch (fillet is pronounced as it is written, not with the usual –ay ending). When you walk somewhere, it is said you are “footing” it. A taxi is called a “special hire.” Cell phones are called “mobile” phones. You don’t say you attend a church, instead you say you “pray” at such and such a church. You don’t turn right, you “branch” right.

I've Arrived!

In case you didn’t know, Uganda is far away! And it takes a long time to get there! Praise the Lord, though, that I had no problems during my travels. I flew out of PDX at around 3:45pm. Some close friends and family came to see me off, which was neat. As I was packing I had thought that I would have to pay for one of my bags because it was over the weight limit. At the check-in counter, I found out that both my bags could have been 70lbs, so I didn’t have to pay any extra at all! Yay! My bags were checked all the way through to Uganda, so I didn’t have to worry about having to maneuver them all by myself.






On my long flight to London, I had a great talk with the lady sitting next to me. She was from Denmark, and through discussing my work in Uganda, the door was opened to talk about many spiritual things. It was so neat to have the opportunity to be a light for Christ right away. My relationship with Jesus is the reason that I am here in Uganda. Christ has given me life, hope, and purpose. He has instilled in me love for kids and given me the opportunity to be His hands and feet to serve the kids in Uganda.

In London I was able to meet up with a family who are also WorldVenture missionaries. The Davis’s have 5 children, the oldest of which is six years old—talk about a complicated journey. With the juggling of strollers, carseats, and lots and lots of bags, not to mention keeping track of energy-filled little ones, this couple was amazing!

I was able to sleep for a few hours on this leg of the flight, which is a praise because usually I am unable to sleep on these long flights. I arrived in Uganda at 8:30am on Wednesday. I stuck with the Davis family, and because of their large family, one of the workers decided to help us out. She got all of our passports and took us to the FRONT of the immigration line. We got everything processed quickly and then went to claim our luggage. Both of my bags made it!!! Yet another answer to prayer. Several people were outside to pick us up (including Megan, my roommate), so we loaded up the luggage and began the hour long drive to Kampala.

Uganda is beautiful! It is the end of the rainy season so everything is lush and green. There are many varieties of trees and flowers. The dust has a reddish tint to it. Driving is an adventure. Ugandans drive on the left side of the road. I keep trying to get in the passenger side of the car, which just happens to be the driver’s side here. ☺

Before going to my little home, I drove with Megan to check out the missionary guest house and the offices of Children of Hope. I got to participate in the weekly Wednesday pizza feast and meet the other people who work there. They all gave me such a warm welcome. They had the office decorated with balloons and welcome signs. It was so neat.



After lunch Megan took me home. My place is cute. It is located at the back of the house that Megan and Holly (two other interns) share. I have my own room, bathroom, shower, and kitchenette. I’ll share the kitchen and living room with Megan and Holly in the big house, but I’m also thankful to have my own little area. I’ve done some unpacking, but still have more to go. I am extremely tired, but am trying to last until nightfall to hopefully get my body to transition to Ugandan time (11 hrs. ahead of Portland). We’ll see how long I make it.☺









The outside of my house.












My entrance in the back.










My bedroom.









The kitchen area.

My bathroom and shower.

Greetings!

Hello all!
This is my first attempt at a blog, and I'm hoping all will go well. I'm heading to Uganda soon...only four days before I depart! I am excited about the adventure ahead of me but have a lot to do. The next few days will be filled with packing, packing, and more packing, as well as spending as much time as I can with friends and family. God has been faithfully guiding me throughout this whole process, providing for my every need. I can't wait to see the amazing ways in which He will work in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Until next time...