My precious Ashiraf and Olivia! I desperately miss them!

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” 2 Ch. 16:9

It is a bittersweet day for a few reasons. This morning Amy departed for Kampala before boarding her flight home tomorrow night. And then there were four. I didn’t prepare myself to be quite so emotional, but after we all said our goodbyes, I think it really began to sink in that this summer is drawing to a close. This time next week, I will be making my way north to London before touching down in Boston, and the next post I put up will be the final piece to this summer’s journey. As I spoke to my mom a few nights ago, she told me how changed I would be once I return. Since I began the search for a place to spend the summer, everyone says how much Africa will change you. I guess I will see once I resume my American lifestyle, but as of now, I am not sure how it will all affect me. The second day that Sarah and I were here, we both thought it was astounding how quickly we adjusted to our new surroundings. Now, here I am almost two months later, and I find it completely normal to wait on the herd of cows to finish passing before crossing the road or a chicken running through the house. While this aspect of Uganda may seem comical, it still seems shocking to me that I am not stunned by the clear display of utter poverty that surrounds me everyday. Amy and I discussed this last Sunday on our walk, and decided that we both came into this summer literally expecting anything. I’m still not quite sure if that will help or hurt my readjustment period once back home, but I know that the biggest change I have been able to see in myself is the way I see God at work everywhere. I pray that I will be able to continue to savor His observable presence no matter where life takes me. I apologize for the random stream of consciousness, so I will now give you all updates on my past week here at New Hope.

“Dancing round before the Lord of glory, we will dance Hosanna.”

This past Sunday, Amy, Jeffrey and I decided to attend the Namungodi Restoration Church, which Uncle Augustine, who manages micro finance with Kiahana and Sarah, attends with his family. It is only about fifteen minutes on a boda, and upon arrival, Uncle Augustine’s daughter, Becky, greeted us, and led us to the entrance of the tiny sanctuary. The structure of the church services that I’ve attended in my time here are somewhat different than what I’m used to. They each begin with a greeting, followed by several songs, which were lead this week by Aunt Becky, and then the first sermon. Uncle Augustine spoke first, and it was so endearing that either Becky or his other daughter Sarah would translate throughout the service. What an awesome way to minister as a family. After the first sermon, Aunt Becky had each of us stand up and introduce ourselves. It was comical because Amy said she was from “the States,” while I said “America” and Jeffrey said “the US.” Aunt Becky translated all of them in Luganda as USA. A few minutes later, Aunt Becky turned to us again and said she had a “surprise dance,” so naturally, we all thought she was going to dance. Just a side note, dancing is such a huge aspect of Ugandan church services, and I do not merely mean occasionally clapping while swaying. The dances that all of the youth choirs do could seriously be in a music video in America, but it is not offensive or disrespectful in any way in this culture. It’s actually quite the opposite. This is why is came as a shock when we realized that Aunt Becky actually meant that it was a surprise dance that we three were going to perform for the congregation. I’ve never been one to excel at improvisation, but as Amy, Jeffrey and I began to sway side-to-side to the music we gained confidence. Being raised in a Baptist church, dancing has never been a big part of our services, so it was quite an experience to throw off inhibitions and just dance for Jesus. After about 30 seconds, the congregation joined in clapping and shouting and before we knew it everyone was dancing. With each song, there seemed to be choreography, and as the three of us began to pick it up, I started to have so much fun. Though I must admit, there were times when I felt as though I were either in a Michael Jackson video or a tribal ritual, yet it’s simply a part of their worship service here. Once I started singing along, I couldn’t help but catch the contagious joy that everyone had. After two or three songs, I literally thought that I had just finished taebo. Everyone was sticky with sweat and the room was thick with the heat of the morning. After the three hour service had come to a close, and everyone came to greet us, Aunt Becky and Aunt Sarah offered us a soda before we headed back to Busia. On the way to their house to fetch the drinks, Aunt Becky very honestly told us, “Aunt Amy, Uncle Jeffrey and Aunt Hayley, you can really shake.” I nearly had a heart attack, but I must say that service is among my top favorite worship moments in my life.

Monday afternoon, Uncle Ken returned from Kaliro bearing about 30 stalks of sugar cane for the children. I was fascinated to see that it looked very similar to bamboo. The kids were astonished to find out that I had never tasted it before, so within a matter of seconds precious Barbara grabbed a machete and proceeded to strip the bark for me. She carefully sliced it into bite-sized pieces, and triumphantly set it before me. I was instructed not to swallow it, but instead chew it until all of the juice came out. I liken the process to eating and spitting out sunflower seeds, except sugar cane is obviously much sweeter. After Sarah, Amy and I had all been subjected to this lovely treat, I realized that all of the children strip the bark off with their teeth! It was so precious to see how willing the older kids were to help the little ones with their stalk. Naturally, I had to try this out. haha Olivia and Barbara instructed me to clamp onto a small strip and simply rip it down the stalk. After all of the bark is successfully peeled back, you reap the benefits of the softer, sweeter inside, which is composed of many fibers. I don’t know how my body is going to react to American sugar after tasting the wonders of natural sugar cane. Yet again, Africa has spoiled me.


“They’ll call me freedom just like a wavin’ flag.” ~K’naan

Yesterday, I, along with my P6 class, began the search for their performance music, and I was delightfully surprised how quickly they decided on two songs. Sierra and Ben, you will appreciate this. They chose “Wavin’ Flag” and “Oh Africa,” mainly because those were the only songs they recognized from my selection. I am so excited to see how they will enjoy their big moment next Monday. After establishing our soundtrack, we relocated outside to learn the second dance. It’s so adorable how enthusiastic they are to learn something new. Though they really have no concept of what cheerleading is, it warms my heart to see how much joy it brings them to have a break from their rigorous academic schedule. It will never cease to amaze me how interested the children are in learning anything that volunteers want to teach them. I have a renewed love for discovering the little joys in day-to-day life, which is exactly what these children do. I know that I have been the one ‘teaching’ math for the past two months, but I am blessed to say that I have learned more from my students than I could ever teach them.

“There’s only now, there’s only here. Begin to love or live in fear.” ~RENT

I wanted to do something special with each Olivia and Barbara in my final week here, and thankfully I came up with two unique projects. Last Friday, I asked if Olivia wanted to record the songs that we have worked on this summer on my computer, which I hope to turn into a DVD to send her later. I didn't realize what a buzz this would create amongst the rest of the New Hope children. Hardly any of them really took interest in Olivia's daily music lesson, until this past week. Anytime a new electronic is brought to the compound, a swarm of children follow. The first few days I began to get frustrated because they literally would sit on top of Olivia and me to better see themselves reflected in the screen. I understand that this new gadget is intriguing, but I wanted it to be a special time for Olivia. The third day, I realized that the time and attention that I give to the children is far more important than having a perfect video of all of the songs. The children crowding around did not bother Olivia, and I soon invited them to join in on the simpler songs in an effort to be more inclusive. Just knowing that they were somehow part of what Olivia was doing made a world of difference in their behavior. The children were more patient, and when I told them it was Olivia’s turn to sing alone, they waited until she was finished and eagerly anticipated watching the end result. As Beth Moore pointed in out in my study this week, “what fruit is produced when we agree to be teachable!” Patience truly is a virtue, and slowly but surely, God is whipping that aspect of my life into shape. I am so quick to get frustrated when things are not exactly working out, but this past week I have begun to see the beauty that comes out of being molded. I have truly seen many Galatians 6:9 harvests this summer as I continue to build relationships with these children.

Barbara has continued to work on the study guides that I make for her, and each day that she hands it back to me, there is a note from her at the top thanking me for the love I show her. I do not feel worthy of her kind words, but I know that God is using me to impact her life. Therefore, I asked her if she wanted to make special friendship bracelets with me on Monday afternoon. We went into the old resource center, and we carefully crafted beautiful matching bracelets in her favorite colors, pink, green, aqua and white. It was such a peaceful afternoon, and I learned that Barbara has a beautiful voice. As she was waiting for me to finish cutting the pieces of string, she quietly began singing. I cannot believe that I didn’t know before that she enjoyed singing! Although I didn’t recognize the song, it nearly brought me to tears because it was about seeking Christ when you no longer have your earthly family around. I am so pleased that I was able to spend such wonderful quality time with Barbara, and I pray that I will continue to love her as God demonstrates His love to me. Up until this Monday, I had started to anticipate going home because I would let all of my frustrations build up. Whether it was getting more than tired of being ‘hissed’ at, which is the equivalent to the American ‘cat-call,’ stared at, the power going off, and the list continues, yet again, God used the New Hope children to snap me out of my ill mood. As Amy and I talked about last week, we must pray for God to help us live in the moment instead of looking to the future and missing out on the last few days here. I don’t want to leave next Wednesday and wish that I had given more or served more faithfully. God has taught me to vent my frustrations to Him, alone, and His faithfulness will override them as I seek Him. This could not be truer, for He has consistently refocused my attention to where it needs to be, rather than complaining about what I wished would be. Praise be to our God, who is more merciful and patient that I will ever deserve.

Eight days until I am clinging to my family, and my dogs! Please pray that I will finish out strong in serving the Lord here in Uganda.

My prayer is that you all will faithfully serve the Lord where He has paced you this week. It is so amazing and refreshing to see what He can and will accomplish.

Love and miss you all.

"Freely You gave it all for us, surrendered Your life upon that cross. Great is the love poured out for all, this is our God" ~Hillsong

"Your grace beyond reason has paid for our freedom, we're made alive in You." ~Hillsong

July 2-13

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July! I know that it has been quite some time since my last post. The power has been out for the majority of the past week due to blown transformers in several areas of the country. We were without water for a little over a day, but praise be to God, it came back on a few nights ago. Bear with me as I embark on many tangents, but I have so much to tell you all. This was my first 4th outside the US, but I must say that it is one that I will remember for years to come. All of the volunteers went out to dinner and came back to make pancakes for desert. They were so delicious. After a rather comical conversation around the breakfast table, Kiahana and I realized that not many people were actually 'free' in 1776 in the sense that is celebrated today. This thought stayed with me throughout the day, and leave it to Beth Moore, my Bible study was tailored to freedom. Only this was a different form than the holiday celebrated each year in America. It focused on Moses' faith throughout the Israelites' slavery in Egypt and the keeping of the Passover. Oh, what sweet deliverance was given to the Israelites so long ago, and this was just a taste of what was to come. Christ is our sweet Passover lamb, who willingly served as the atonement for our sin. I will never look at independence, or rather dependence, the same. Our God is so symbolic, and I just love the fact that this lesson happened to fall on the fourth of July. I am not only so very blessed to be an American, but more importantly, a child of the One who was the fulfillment of the Passover. I believe that the band Starfield puts it best. "This is my declaration (of dependence), more of you, oh God, and less of me” I hope you can draw a few parallels of your own as you reminisce on the great freedoms we are afforded as Americans, and better yet, all of the freedoms that come from God's great mercy.

This past weekend, Sarah and Kiahana left for Jinja to visit the Jewish tribe that lives there. Jeffrey also joined the rest of his UNC interns in Jinja, where they rafted the Nile, while he rode a four-wheeler alongside. Amy and I decided to stay in Busia, and it turned out to be such a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. On Saturday morning, the two of us decided to make pancakes and scrambled eggs for everyone. Amy knows how to make pancake batter from scratch, so while she was busy mixing away, I cracked the eggs. It’s so interesting how normal it seems to me to cook everything outdoors with chickens strutting around my feet. It was extremely fun! Everyone, except for Amy and I, likes their eggs barely brown, so they thought that Amy and I were crazy for all but burning our eggs. Uncle Ken’s two sons, Jordan and Elijah, go to school near their grandmother’s home about an hour away, and they periodically visit on the weekends. They arrived on Friday evening, and it was so hilarious to see how they approached the pancakes on their plates. We cut them into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled sugar and pieces of bananas on top. The closest thing to pancakes in Uganda is chapatti, so naturally the older Elijah now calls pancakes, the “chapatti of the US.” It was very interesting to see how everyone ate all of their eggs and bananas before they ventured to taste the pancakes. I guess I’m not the only picky eater. haha Once they tasted them, they were definitely a hit though. On days when the sun is out, Amy and I will lay out for a spell after lunch, which is such a common activity in my mind. Everyone around the house and the children that visit Uncle Ken’s house can find no good reason why anyone would want to ‘sleep in the sun.’ On several occasions, we have been asked if we are sick, and my favorite response from Irene was “I will pray for you.” They honestly have no idea why we would want our skin to be darker. It’s so interesting to see how small a thing such as skin color can differentiate amongst cultures. On Saturday night, I took Happy Feet over for the children at New Hope to watch after dinner. I often wonder how much of the language they pick up on from the movies that volunteers show them, because they always laugh at the most interesting parts. The day after they watch a movie, Olivia and several of the other girls will reiterate their favorite parts. It is so hilarious to see how they interpret the movies, but I am overjoyed that they truly light up when they are recounting a storyline. Sunday afternoon, Amy and I decided to explore one of the side roads near the orphanage, and ended up going on a two-hour excursion through some of the most beautiful Ugandan countryside that I have seen yet. We came upon the secondary school that the New Hope children attend after P7, barely escaped death by a herd of cows and almost forgot the way home because all of the dirt roads started to look the same. It was an amazing walk though, as we reflected on all that God had been doing over the past few weeks and discussed C.S. Lewis, Beth Moore and Francine Rivers. I am chopping at the bit to be able to read “Redeeming Love” and “Captivating” when I return home. I truly thank God for allowing all of us volunteers to get along so well. I have learned so much from all of them, and am already dreading the next two weeks where we will all have to say our goodbyes.

I must admit that I am becoming spoiled. This past Thursday, Amy and I discovered that a pineapple is only 1000 shillings, which is the equivalent of about 40¢. This is the same price as one apple here, so you can imagine our excitement! Since then, we have purchased one everyday for dinner. Thus far in my twenty years, I have never tasted such a fresh fruit, and it's so much fun to cut. My favorite part is the slice from the bottom, because it’s the juiciest in my opinion. I will greatly miss this treat when I go home, because let's face it, pineapples don't fare too well growing in Belmont. :) On Monday evening, Uncle Ken and Aunt Susan returned from visiting their daughter in Jinja, and brought a truckload of pineapples, bananas, maize, mangoes, rice and jackfruit for New Hope. It was as if it were Christmas morning to see the look of excitement on all of the children’s faces. Jackfruit is perhaps the largest fruit that I’ve ever seen. It’s slightly larger than a watermelon, and has the consistency of a slimy wax. I finally overcame my fear of the texture and tasted a piece at dinner that night, and I must say the flavor is absolutely divine. Jackfruit tastes like a cross between strawberry-kiwi and a citrus fruit, although it’s not tangy or bitter whatsoever. It would make a wonderful juice, except for the fact that it has no juice at all. I wish I could bring one back to everyone, but I don’t think the airport would appreciate that. It’s quite interesting to see how my cravings for food have changed since I’ve been here. My first few weeks, I wanted Coke and Snickers terribly, and now I’ve gotten into the habit of eating an apple for both lunch and dinner, devouring peanut butter and of course my pineapple.

“How can I keep from singing Your praise?” ~Chris Tomlin

Yesterday was a great day. As I went to have my music lesson with Olivia, she informed me that Uncle Mark wanted to learn the songs that she has learned too. Uncle Mark is the one who investigates a child's living condition when they are being considered to live at New Hope, and he is so good with the kids. After Olivia had to return to class, we spent the next half hour singing “Shout Unto God” and “The Same Power” by Hillsong. It was actually precious, because he said he had always wanted to learn how to sing. Later that afternoon, Olivia and I reconvened, and soon after Uncle Mark joined. He handed me a notebook and asked if I would be wiling to write down the lyrics to the songs we had worked o, as well as the artist. He said that he hopes to sing in church one day. I think this definitely put into perspective just how blessed I am to have gown up with such a strong presence of music around me. From playing the piano with Grandpa guiding my fingers, to singing in various choirs and in church, I have always had music. I hope that I never take for granted just how precious a gift it has been to have such incredible teachers throughout my life. I pray that I will be able to adequately serve Olivia and Uncle Mark over the next two weeks, and help them as much as possible in their endeavors to learn ‘music.’

During my math lesson with P6 yesterday afternoon, I had an epiphany. I have been teaching them about one cheer a week since I have been here, and they eat it up. It is so refreshing to see them take a break from their rigorous academic schedule to have fun. I have them for two hours straight yesterday, which I think it way too long for a 12-year old, let alone me, to pay attention. I made a pact with them that if they wanted to, the Monday before I leave they could have a performance of all of the cheers they have learned. An eruption of excitement broke out among all of them as I lead them outside for fresh air. Last week, I promised to teach them a dance, so I taught them one of my short sideline basketball dances. I think I could have literally just stood there and clapped my hands for 4 eight counts and they would have been satisfied, because I have never seen a group of students so eager to learn a dance before. I had taken them behind the pig house at the far end of the orphanage so we wouldn’t distract any of the other classes. My efforts were in vain, because soon there were little heads that kept poking around the corners to see what P6 was learning. They convinced me to take our lesson into the old resource center, in hopes of keeping this a secret. I cannot wait to give you all a full synopsis of their performance in a week and a half.

I now have an update on the sewing course. After deciding to just wait on Uncle Ken to return to bring up the sewing course, because he spends most of the week doing advocacy work promoting children's safety in Kaliro, I received a response about the supplies yesterday. Uncle Ken requested funds for the various supplies, and was turned down for the time being. I know that if it were meant for me to teach sewing, then it would work out. I believe that this may actually be an answered prayer though, because most of the women could not speak English. In my final two weeks here at New Hope, I am going to draft up specific directions for operating the machines and create a few simple projects that a beginner can easily pick up on. After I make sure that the directions are easy to understand, I am going to have one of the adults on staff here translate it into Luganda. This way, whenever the supplies are made available, they will have directions in their native tongue that the women can easily access. Please pray that the women who applied for the course will not be too disappointed that they were not able to begin as soon as we all had hoped. I am leaving it in God’s hands, and going to do my absolute best to come up with lessons that will hopefully equip the women with the basics skills that will bring in more income.

“I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.” ~Psalm 77:11

I am ecstatic about this week in my Bible study. I have timed it so that my last study will be my last night here, and oh, how God is using each week’s topic to pertain to my daily life. This week’s study is entitled “Believing God Has Been There All Along,” and it focuses on remembering God’s presence in your life from birth instead of dwelling on painful and destructive memories. I must admit that I am approaching it as putting unto paper my safari, which you will remember is Swahili for ‘journey,’ with God thus far in my life. Beth has structured it so that each day’s Faith Journal section will focus on a certain fifth of your life. The first day was naturally the first fifth, in my case from birth to four years old, and she had me describe my spiritual heritage and how God used my extended family to influence my beliefs. It seems like one would obviously remember how, as a toddler, your family influenced many of your behaviors, but by the end of my Faith Journal I was in tears. It was incredible to recount how God placed such wonderful grandparents in my life to mold and shape my climate of faith. I cannot remember a time when Grandpa, Grandma or Mawmaw weren’t praying with me, for me or engraining me with Christian values. I am so incredibly blessed to have had a stable support system from birth. I cannot wait to continue down this safari and recount all of the Godstops along the way. Back to God’s impeccable timing, this past Saturday, Barbara handed me a letter. This is very typical to receive from New Hope children, but this letter was quite different than the rest. She is honestly one of my best math students in P6, but she wrote me asking if I could explain how she could “know math like I do.” I wrote her back saying that I could make her study guides for each day, and her response completely astounded me. She said she would love study guides, but she went on to say how I have helped her forget the death of her father. Later that day, I received yet another letter from Barbara, only this time it wasn’t addressed to me, but my family. She asked me to give it to them upon my return, and it explains her story and how she ended up at New Hope. I did not expect this whatsoever, because it’s not very often that the children volunteer information about their traumatic experiences. She has faithfully been doing the study guides, and she seems so full of joy now that she has opened up to me. I pray that I will be able to love her as Christ would have me to, and point her to Him. I hope to be able to share with her scriptures from my Bible study this week, so she will be able to recall Godstops in her past. He is always faithful, and I just pray that she will be able to feel His presence in her daily life. Please pray that I will be able to be a beacon of light to Barbara over the next two weeks, and that she will grow closer in her walk with Christ. These children never cease to amaze me. I do believe that I’m going to hold American children to the New Hope standard when I return because they are simply extraordinary from their manners to their selflessness. I will never forget them as long as I am still alive.

I cannot wait to see all of you! You are in my prayers! May you reflect God's faithfulness in your life this week! You will be astounded as the Holy Spirit reveals memories to you.

Love and miss you!

"Above all the earth, Thou art exalted!"

I truly cannot believe that the month of June has passed by so quickly. This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to go on safari with Sarah, Jeffrey and five of the other Chapel Hill volunteers from other organizations. I have so much to say, but am not quite sure what to delve into first. I want to thank those of you who are patient with me and take the time to read all of my wandering thoughts and endless details of this trip. It means so much to actually have an audience that is willing to take the time and effort to read what I have to say. On Friday morning, we set out for the matatu park in Busia. It actually filled up quickly, and before I knew it, I was on the way to Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda. Around 2 pm, we arrived at the Logago stop, where we ate the most American food that I have had in quite some time. I ordered a cheese pizza, and it was quite interesting. Instead of the traditional tomato sauce that I am used to, there was hot sauce under a layer of cheese and onion. The crust was phenomenal though! From here, it was a short ride on a boda boda to the Red Chilli Hideaway, which is the campsite that we booked the safari through. Upon entering through the gates, I was somewhat surprised to see a random assortment of ‘muzungus,’ with accents ranging from British to Australian. A large mass of tan and black fur lay heaped in the floor of the lobby, which I discovered was actually an extremely overweight dingo-looking dog. He was quite friendly. A black and white three-legged cat also accompanied the dog in the lobby. I was quite content to be around familiar animals once again. After checking in, we were guided to a dorm with 9 sets of bunk beds, and all of which shared one bathroom. It reminded me of the camp buildings in movies. Several tents were scattered around the campground, as well as many luscious fruit trees, including banana and mango trees. It felt as though I had just walked into the jungle that Timon and Pumbaa live in. As Sarah and I were waiting for the other volunteers to arrive, we discovered a family of tiny monkeys living behind our dorm. There were ten or so, and they were so social. I am sure they are used to having many people, accompanied by their cameras, crowded around them, because they seemed to pose for us.

Safari: Swahili for “Journey”

I have had what I will go so far as to call a small obsession with animals for as long as I can remember. My mom can attest to this claim, as she witnessed on numerous occasions my costumes and animal behavior as a small child. Needless to say, I was quite enthusiastic to be embarking on a real life safari in the grasslands of Africa. Early Saturday morning, the eight of us boarded our very own safari van and left Kampala for Murchison Falls National Park, which is approximately four hours Northeast of Kampala. After stopping for lunch, which I must take a moment to say that a playlist of Beyonce was airing on Uganda’s version of MTV at the restaurant that we stopped at. Even half a world away, I can’t seem to escape just how influential American culture is on the rest of the world. Whether or not I think that is a good thing, I will not dive into at this time. As soon as we turned off of the main road into the gates of the National Park, the atmosphere seemed to change instantaneously. There was nothing but thick forest on either side of the dirt path, with no sign of mud huts or children screaming ‘muzungu!” After a few minutes of driving, our van halted as a family of baboons was perched in the center of the path. I could not believe that they were even real. They took their time to clear the path as we began to move again, but at that moment, I began to feel as if I were truly on a safari, and this wasn’t even our game drive! J Over the course of the next hour, we continued to drive deeper and deeper into the brush and see countless baboons peering into the windows as we passed. Finally, we arrived at the Red Chilli Rest Camp, which I would call home for the next 48 hours. There was literally a large tiki hut, under which the kitchen was located with several tables and chairs surrounding it. Four warthogs were lying under the shade of the hut as we walked towards it! Pumbaa! It was quite surreal to say the least. After a quick orientation, in which one of the “Red Hot” employees informed us to keep all food in the kitchen for the warthogs and hippos would most definitely destroy our tent to get to any scraps during the night. As if that shouldn’t scare us, the brochure for the safari actually states that if you see a hippo coming towards your tent, do not call the emergency number for there is nothing they can do… Exciting? I think so! Haha It was mid afternoon by the time we all settled into our tents, so I had plenty of time to reflect on the breathtaking scenery before my eyes. Directly in front of the tiki hut, there are several chairs facing a horizon of the entire park with the Nile River bisecting it. I sat staring out into what reminded me of the Pridelands in the Lion King for the next few hours and journaling just how fabulous God’s creation truly is.

At 6:30 the next morning, we embarked on our game drive. After boarding a ferry to get to the grasslands on the other side of the Nile, I had the unforgettable experience to see the sunrise over the Nile with hippos in the near distance wading in the swallow water’s edge. It was difficult to believe that this wasn’t a dream. Soon, our driver lifted the top of our van in order for us to experience a 360-degree view of the grasslands, and my mind began to play the instrumental music of “The Circle of Life”. I’m sorry to keep referencing Disney, but it’s the only thing that I have to compare, because truly for the next three hours, it was as if I had a behind the scenes look at a live taping of the real Lion King. Although, I did not actually see any big cats, I was enthralled at the stunning scenery of Ugandan Cobb, Waterbuck, water buffalo, warthogs, hippos and even giraffes grazing in the heat of the morning sun. We took a stretch break half way through the drive at the edge of a watering hole. Several groups of hippos were snorting and splashing around. It was so interesting to me that they spew water as if they were whales. Though our group was only about five yards from these massive animals, surprisingly I was not afraid. Hippos only charge if they feel threatened. I was so busy taking in the scenery that I did not take too many pictures. Of all the unforgettable moments on the safari, the giraffes were definitely my favorite part. One giraffe was standing directly in our path as we pulled up, as if to aid us in snapping the closest possible picture of the elegant animal. It is simply incredible how graceful they were despite their staggering height. Their necks were so supple, and they all seemed to be very family oriented. My pictures will never be able to accurately portray all that I took in during those few short hours. As we neared the end of our drive and were about to once again board the ferry, I was blessed to be able to see a herd of elephants coming to take a water break about 50 yards down the bank of the Nile. Absolutely incredible!

That afternoon, I got go take a boat cruise on the Nile towards Murchison Falls. There was lightning in the distance as we boarded our metal boat… Safe? Probably not, despite the assurance from our driver that is was perfectly safe. Oh Africa haha. As the rain gently began to create ripples in this ‘mighty river,’ I could almost reach out my hand and touch the various hippos that gave our group strange looks as we drifted past. I must admit that the first Nile crocodile that our guide pointed out on the nearest bank made me have a flashback to the few episodes of “Swamp People” that I have seen. I know that gators are somewhat different from these terrifying animals, but I could not help but imagine the Louisiana hunters with their thick accents having a field day on the Nile. Oh, reality television, how would we all procrastinate without you? haha I learned that if you see a lone water buffalo on the banks of the river, it has probably been forced to leave the rest of the group due to its old age. I can officially say that I have witnessed the circle of life, in all of its wonder and harshness. The halfway point of our cruise was the waterfall. I must note that Ernest Hemingway took an air tour of Murchison falls, and his plane actually crashed twice during the course of his visit. It’s so interesting to think of all of the history that this river has witnessed. To prevent us all from getting drenched by the mist off of the waterfall, our boat coasted to a stop at a nearby island of rock about a quarter of a mile from the bottom of the falls. It was a stunning sight, as I scrambled a top the nearest rock to get a better view. What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, taking in God’s creation in all of its splendor. As we headed back to the dock, we spotted a lone elephant drinking from the river! Our guide was gracious enough to spend a few extra minutes allowing us to take in the magnificent animal. I was informed that many bull elephants will take their water break alone to defend a certain part of their territory. Oh, “how wonderful, how marvelous and my soul shall ever sing!” I cannot state it more eloquently.

“If I were to look for you, what would I find?” ~Taylor Hogan

Monday was my last day in Marchison Falls National Park, and oh, what an experience I had in my final hours. After packing all of my belongings, our van left for a hike to the top of the falls. We were dropped off by our driver at the top of a hill with an incredible overhead view of Murchison Falls. I wasn’t exactly sure how close we would actually be able to get to the rushing water, so I took many pictures right away. After a few minutes, a tour guide who proceeded to take us on a short hike directly to the source of the falls met my group. I have never been quite so terrified, yet awestruck at the same time by such a sight. The churning river is forced into a narrow passage before exploding into a magnificent waterfall to join the river below. We were close enough to feel the mist billowing off of the water. I took several videos in my attempt to capture a few moments of what was such an incredible experience. As we continued along the path adjacent to the falls, I looked back to be met with one of the most beautiful rainbows that I have ever witnessed. What an amazing way to conclude a fabulous weekend. After spending half an hour being captivated by the sheer beauty of this place, we headed back to Kampala.

I must give you all an update on Joe. The night before I left for the trip, I received the wonderful news that Joe would be returning to New Hope. His father is not able to adequately care for him, so he would be bringing him back at some point during the weekend. Although, it saddened me that his parents had to give him up, I thought that this was an answered prayer for Joe to come back to New Hope. After returning to New Hope on Tuesday night and discovering that Joe had not yet returned, I received yet more news concerning the matter. Sometimes God uses what seems to be the most heartbreaking of circumstances to reveal His sovereignty in the mightiest way. Joe will not be coming back, but this is good news. Although I truly believe that New Hope is such a wonderful, Christian environment for children to grow up in, it is not the ideal situation. By the grace of God Almighty, it turns out that Joe has an aunt, who is an accountant, in a nearby village whom has opened up her home to raise Joe. She has a housekeeper that will care for Joe while she is at work, and she has two small children of her own. Everyone at New Hope has been assured that this is the best possible situation for Joe to find himself in, and I must say that I agree. This does not mean that I will not miss his beautiful smile, but it’s so refreshing to have such a praise report to tell you all.

“You will never have anything more contagious than your joy” ~Beth Moore

It is with great pleasure that I get to give updates to you all about my Bible study because I truly receive a fresh word each and every time I open my Bible lately. My efforts to explain all that God is teaching me through this study simply do not do it justice. I will give my best attempt though. Last night, I was reading about God’s covenant with Noah. Of course I immediately drew a parallel to my adventure with God’s great animals only a few short days ago, but as I continued the study, Beth Moore drew her own. She was actually on a safari in Africa when she wrote this day of Bible study! I cannot even begin to describe the chills I got just thinking about how perfect God’s timing is and always has been. Beth wrote this study in 2004, and now seven years later, God is using her experiences to coincide completely with mine. Oh, the elation is indescribable! Then I thought back to the rainbow at Murchison Falls, and was overwhelmed how closely God was relating this study to my life. This weekend I listened to two more clips of Beth Moore. The first was while I was riding to Murchison on Saturday, I listened a clip from “Breaking Free Revised Edition,” in which she spoke about 1 John 4 and God’s love. The second was on the way back to Kampala on Monday, and it was about joy. I honestly have not yet been able to get through one of these clips without tears flooding my eyes. In the first clip, Beth described a sunset that was completely overwhelming on her way home, and she could hardly contain her joy when she realized that it was directly over her neighborhood. I understand her feeling exactly, because that’s how God has been in my life over the past week. I cannot escape His love, and why would I want to? Then Beth described how she cried out to God “why are You so nice to me after where I’ve been in… my life?” and the response was “don’t you tell Me you love me, say ‘I love You too.” For God is “the initiator and the only reason [we] can love [Him] is because [He loves us].” I cannot explain why this touched me so deeply, but yesterday, I brought this back to mind and it kept me from giving into the enemy’s desire to steal my joy. The second clip was from “Stepping Up,” and Beth spoke about how contagious one’s joy truly is. When you see someone filled with joy that only comes from God Himself, you cannot help but want to join in. Oh goodness, I can hardly type fast enough to tell you about it.

Yesterday was my first day seeing the kids after five days away. I must say that I missed them more than I thought I would. They welcomed me with open arms at 7:15 in the morning, as class was about to begin. I’m not sure if they were simply happy to see me or what, but that was the best class that I have had yet. We ended class with a new cheer, just like every week, and I walked back to Uncle Ken’s house in the best mood. During the morning break, I went to sing with Olivia and went back to the house. The power was off when we came back on Tuesday evening and remained off all day yesterday. My computer was dead, as was my iPod, and I decided to just journal instead. About this time, I started to give into my petty complaints. I don’t know why, but my mood quickly downward spiraled. I started worrying about how I was going to get to the airport at the end of July and everything else I could possibly worry about. I knew that if I continued to meditate on these negative things, I would only get overwhelmed about things that I can do nothing about today. After talking to my mom, I felt much better, and I wrote everything down in my journal. All of a sudden, I was reminded of Beth’s words from the Breaking Free study, and from that point on, I began to see God everywhere. I hung out with the kids before dinner, and then wrote down more lyrics for Olivia’s song collection. After being reminded that “God is love” and He cannot be anything less, my outlook on the day was completely rejuvenated. From then on, my joy has gone through the roof. I started off the day reading Romans 4, which describes God’s covenant with Abraham and how through our faith, we are covered as well. All day today, from the children’s beaming smiles to the sunshine, I have been constantly reminded of how good my God is. I know I just used a lot of words to say a little bit, but I am merely trying to expound upon the truth that God’s love surrounds each and every one of us.

I pray that you all will know how deeply God truly loves you and that your joy will be contagious!!

I love and miss you all!

“When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms” ~Phil Wickham

It’s now week 3 here at New Hope. We have been out of power for the past few days, so I haven’t had a chance to blog. Since last time, so many things have happened! Mama Scovia, who basically runs Uncle Ken’s house everyday, has taught me some of the ropes of cooking Ugandan style. Chapatti, which is like a thick crepe, is actually very basic to make. After you combine flour, water, salt, onions and sugar for the dough, you use a rolling pin to flatten them into a circle and transfer them to the hot plate. That’s it! They are really good with sugar sprinkled on top. I have also learned that maize is very tasty without anything added. Scovia showed me how to take the cob out of the ear and simply place it over the coals. After it cooled, we just broke it with our hands and ate it. Believe it or not, I have even scooped out fried fish from the pan. Literally, the fish’s body is broken into several pieces and placed into grease. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Under Scovia’s watchful eye, I’ve learned how to use a small machete to peel an avocado and a mango. Avocadoes are so soft that it ended up getting all over my hands, but it served as a nice cleanser. Olivia, who also helps with cooking and cleaning, loves to sing, so of course, we burst into song as we cooked one night. “Blessed Assurance” never seemed so sweet. I’ve also noticed that Ugandans use every aspect of their food. All of the cooking is done behind the house in a small alley, and the scraps of leftover food, such as the skin of a mango or avocado, are left on the ground for the chickens to eat the next morning. Shadow and Mia, these chickens would give you a run for your money. J The chickens also help out in other ways. One morning, as we were eating our bread and butter, an ambitious white chicken walked into the living room, saw that Amy had yet to eat her share and decided to take some of the burden from her. She actually snatched an entire piece of bread and ran to the door to eat it. We were all shocked, but then again, this is Africa. haha In all actuality, it makes logical sense to take advantage of all of one’s resources the way that Ugandans do. I believe it will be quite interesting to return to American culture and realize how many things are wasted each day.

“You are the hope that keeps me trusting, You are my purpose, You’re everything” ~Lifehouse

Unfortunately, the majority of the past few days, I have not been feeling well. My appetite has reduced significantly, and the only thing I can easily stomach is bread and butter, Sprite, and Coke. Thankfully, this is in abundance, so I will be fine. It’s just been quite difficult because it’s rude to refuse food at any meal. Therefore, I just take a little spoonful of each dish, and take a small bite of rice or mango. This past Saturday night, I had a slight meltdown. I believe that it was merely a culmination of exhaustion, fever, and not being able to easily talk to my mom each day, but whatever the cause, I broke down into tears. It was at this point that I realized how much reliance I have on others. For the past two and half weeks, I have been exposed to so many drastic changes in my daily life, and I would not trade it for the world. However, it was at this breaking point that I truly began to “lose myself in God’s will,” as Amy so eloquently put it. There is nothing else that I can do, because my strength is nothing without His power. God has also used music more than ever to speak to me this past week. I have probably listened to Lifehouse’s “Everything” twenty times this weekend, and when put on shuffle, my iPod would play various Hillsong songs that were simply meant for me to hear. As I was on the verge of being sick on Saturday, “Healer” came on, and tears flooded my eyes. I have never thought that the words “I believe You’re my Healer, I believe You are all I need” were more true. Also, Taylor Swift’s “Never Grow Up” played, and I was reminded how blessed I have been with such a loving and caring family. I do not believe it is coincidence that God has managed to let me hear the words that I need most at the right moment. He is so good, and everytime I begin to complain, I stop in my tracks and reflect on the words “how can I stand here and not be moved by You?”

Saturday was quite an interesting day. Maylott, one of the volunteers from Chapel Hill, wanted to do something fun for her birthday, which is today, so we all decided to leave early Saturday morning to go to a resort in Tororo to use their pool. After boarding a matatu, which is a 14-passenger van turned into a taxi, we rode for about half an hour before being dropped off on the side of the rode at the connecting location in Junction. The next matatu we boarded had about a dozen people before the eight of us piled in. Needless to say, it was packed like a clown car. I actually rode crammed between the first and second row of seats. It was worth it though, because there were baboons lined down the road. It was literally like seeing Rafiki in person, or monkey rather! I didn’t however have any time to snatch a picture because we were going to fast. After learning that the matutu would not take us to the resort, we got on boda-boda motorcycles… These are actually really fun, and they are able to dodge the numerous potholes in the road. We arrived at the resort in Tororo around 11, only to discover that their pool has been drained until August. Note to self: planning ahead- not used so much in this culture. Kiahana asked if there was another pool in town, and the lady at the desk informed her that the nearest pool was 50 km away in Mbale. At this point, I just had to laugh to keep from crying. I learned so much about traveling in a foreign country on Saturday. After another boda ride, losing one of my camera batteries along the way, and ninety minutes later, we arrived at the Mbale Hotel and Resort. It was worth the wait, because the pool was immaculate and they served Western style food. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries! Much to my dismay, my stomach could not handle more than a few bites. Though I must say, those were some tasty bites. After lunch, Jeffrey and I needed to go to the bank, so we hopped on a boda and headed to the downtown area. It seriously reminded me of Times Square Ugandan style. The streets were lined with matatus and bodas, and vendors were constantly trying to get you to buy their merchandise. Kiahana told us to ask to be taken to the taxi park, but no one seemed to know what that was. Somehow, Jeffrey and I made it to the taxi park to meet the rest of our group to head back to Busia. As soon as our boda halted, we were swarmed by people wanting to sell the “muzungu’ things. I literally threw 200 shillings at our driver and ran to the Busia matatu with Jeffrey. It was simply comical, because at least 20 adults, a few children and two chickens managed to fit into the matatu. I ended up in the back row by the left hand window with literally just enough room to cram my body into the space. The next two hours were quite interesting, because unlike bodas, matatu drivers manage to find all of the potholes and successfully drive over each one. Praise be to God that I had a window, because I spent the majority of the time with my head out of it like my dogs. As we passed through towns, many people stared, shouted or even attempted to run alongside just to have a chance to look at the “muzungu.” By the time we made it safely to Uncle Ken’s house around 8, I finally got to talk to my parents! I’m sure they thought I had completely lost it because the first five minutes, all I did was cry. Mom, don’t let this make you upset, but honestly, everytime I hear your voice, I cry. Usually it’s after we hang up, but this past time I couldn’t help it. I guess this is the point where I’m supposed to be insightful and say something along the lines of “don’t take your parents for granted.” Truly though, I have never been so thankful to simply be reminded that I have parents, even if they are halfway around the world, that take the time to listen to my cry on the other end of a long distance phone call. Please don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love everything about being here at New Hope, but I am also learning how much I love in North Carolina.

To give a quick update of the sewing course, I have come to the realization that it will be started when God wills it to be. Uncle Ken moved the machines to their own room at the orphanage on Sunday, but he locked the door and has been out of town since then. He should return either today or tomorrow, and I will hopefully be able to see how many machines actually work. I leave for safari early this Friday until Tuesday, so the earliest the course would start is a week from today. Please keep the women that have applied in your prayers. I truly feel like any skill that I will be able to share with them will greatly impact their lives. I am placing the whole thing in God’s mighty hands, because I know that it will be in His time that it will happen.

“Faith is complete engagement with God: holding on to God and His promises because we know He’s holding on to us.” ~Beth Moore

This past week in my Bible study has focused on believing that “God is who He says He is.” I have been blessed with a fresh look at the truth of the God that I serve. He is God, “and there is no other.” If that doesn’t leave you speechless, I don’t know what will. I cannot emphasize enough the extant to which I have come to reflect on the promises that God has made. Isaiah 40 made a second appearance in my time here at New Hope. This time, the emphasis was placed on verses 21-22. “Have you not seen, have you not heard? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth.” This past spring, I sang this in Chorale and it astounded me then. Now, I am just amazed at how God can use the same scripture and apply it in very different ways. Beth Moore also gives the Strong’s definition of certain words in a scripture along with the original Hebrew or Greek word. As I was learning about God as Creator, I learned the difference between created and formed. The original meaning of ‘created,’ of “bara” is “shaped” or “fashioned” with God alone as the author. This is an action that only God is able to accomplish. “Formed,” or “yatsar” is something that is made from preexisting material. You may be wondering, when is she going to tie this altogether? Well, it is very interesting because God “created man in his own image,” (Gen. 1:27) yet he “formed man out of the dust of the ground” (Gen. 2:7). Verse 27 describes the immaterial aspect of man, which is something that God alone willed. He purposefully chose to ‘get His hands dirty’ so to speak, when he “formed” man’s material body. This stuck out to me in my Bible study because I am covered in dirt at the end of each day. I’m not sure if I will ever be able to see the true color of my feet again. With all of that said, it actually serves as a reminder that God chose to use something as simple as dust to create me. It is quite humbling to think about, as Beth pointed out. Whenever I begin to get anxious about being here, all I need to do is look to my dirt-covered feet to remember how God used His hands to fashion me. While I am around these wonderful children, it has been so refreshing to be able to be continually reminded of how one of a kind our God is and how intimately He is involved in the details of each and every one of our lives.

Finally, I know this may seem bizarre, but I haven’t acknowledged that the children are actually living at an orphanage until two days ago. On Monday morning, Olivia wrote me a letter, in which she included the Lord’s Prayer and “requested” that I pray it when I eat, when I am “going to any place” and when I am going to sleep. She emphasized many times how thankful she was that I came to New Hope and that she loved me very much. Olivia exemplifies the values that are ingrained into these children. They love without restraint and worship completely unhindered. It is almost unbelievable what a wonderful outlook these children have in general. I enjoy every moment with these beautiful children, which is why on Monday I wasn’t prepared for the harsh reality that comes along with many of their backgrounds to make itself known. I was walking back from town, and I saw baby Joe, who is the latest addition to the New Hope family being led away from the orphanage by a man. To preface this story, Joe was found abandoned on the side of the road and brought to New Hope two weeks ago. His mother is a prostitute and had left him with a ‘babysitter,’ who subsequently misplaced him. He was adjusting so well to New Hope, and Jeffrey, especially, bonded with him. He always had a smile on his face, and we found out after a few days that he didn’t know any English. Everytime one of the volunteers would ask him something; he would cock his head to the side and say “huh?” It was so endearing! Then I asked him “oleotya,” which means ‘hi, how are you?’ in Lugandan, and he responded “bulungi” or “I’m fine.” It was so precious! I later learned that it was his father that had come to retrieve him because it is illegal in Uganda to abandon your child. If some parents were not required by the authorities to pick up their children, they would simply leave them on the side of the road or in an orphanage. I understand why this law is in place, but on the other hand, it requires parents to keep their children even if they don’t want them. I pray that this is not the case with Joe’s father. I will never forget little Joe’s face. I ask that you all would pray for God to provide a hedge of protection for this little one.

Many nights in the past week we have experienced power outages and rainstorms, but last night was particularly intense. We had just sat down to dinner when powerful gusts of wind seemed to shake the foundations of the house, and shortly after, torrential rains beat against the ceiling. Kiahana had just told everyone that she usually unplugs any electrical devices when it rains to prevent surges by lightning. The words had barely left her mouth when a bolt of lightning did hit the house and went straight through all of the sockets in the house. Thankfully, Maylott had just finished unplugging her computer, but she felt the shock because her plug was by her feet. Talk about power! The weather has always amazed me with the sheer amount of power that it displays, but last night proved trying in our household. Babra, who is in my P6 class, stayed at Uncle Ken’s house all day yesterday because she has malaria. She is usually incredibly lively and talkative, but yesterday, she was completely disoriented and weak. Kiahana and I took turns feeding her lunch. When the power went out as the storm came, she began to hyperventilate and shake. We all believed that she had a panic attack, but paired with malaria, she really began to worry us all. She began to complain of heart pains, and thirty minutes later, when the storm had passed, Uncle Mark decided to take her to the hospital. Miraculously, just as the car came to take her to the hospital, the power came back on. As far as I know, she is recovering, and will be back at New Hope shortly. Please keep her in your prayers. I don’t know how I would cope without my mom when I am sick, but these children all band together. It is quite incredible how much of a family they truly are, and how the older ones truly serve as parents much of the time to the younger ones. My Bible study two nights ago used Psalm 139:13-17 to illustrate how God knows literally every detail about each and every one of us, and I hope to be able to relay this message to as many of the children as God allows me to during my stay. I will continue to praise him because I, along with all of the rest of these beautiful children, am “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

I hope you will be able to reflect on how personally God knows you this week, and praise Him for the wonderful works of His hands.

I love you all dearly!

"With everything, we will shout for Your praise" ~Hillsong

“So, a needle pulling thread” ~The Sound of Music

My second week is underway here at New Hope. I must admit that it has come with quite a bit of joy, as well as frustration. On Sunday morning, Uncle Ken decided that he wanted me to teach a sewing course for young, single mothers who need work, and that I would start next Monday, June 20. I was so excited, because I knew this was something that my mom wished she could start at home. Then came the planning. Kiahana sat down with me later that afternoon to lay the groundwork for the project. World Vision donated seven sewing machines to New Hope some time ago, and they have yet to be used. Several of them do not even have needles, and I haven’t had a chance to plug them in to see if all of them even work. Uncle Ken says that he wants to put them in their own room, so I’m anticipating the move from the resource center, which is a room that the children use to read/ study every evening. Monday, I made an application and a sign to hang in the New Hope Internet café in town. This is where the women will receive and turn in their applications. Ideally, I will accept 14 women and break them into two groups with the first coming on Monday and Wednesday and the second on Tuesday and Thursday from 12-2. Uncle Ken also wants to feed the women lunch, which is a fantastic idea. Please join me in prayer for this project, because I so desperately wish to make a difference in the lives of these women. The applications were set out Monday afternoon, so we shall see what God decides to do with them. Thus far, I have received two applications, so I’m getting excited that there is interest in the program. Just now, in the midst of my typing this blog entry in the Internet Café, a man came in and asked about the sewing course. Unfortunately, I told him we were only offering it to women at this time, but hopefully in the future, New Hope will be able to open it up to more people. While sewing is far from my forte, I guess I will see how all of those hours of watching Mom will pay off. Thank you Mom for allowing me to perch on your sewing table just to talk on countless occasions. I ask that you pray that this will be a lasting project in the Busia community, and that God will receive all of the glory!

“The Circle of Life”

This weekend, Sarah and I watched two Disney movies with the children. While this was standard procedure in my childhood, I never imagined how novel it would be to the New Hope children. Saturday, we started Aladdin, because “A Whole New World” is one of their favorite songs, and a flood of children rushed to the Chapel room to crowd around Sarah’s laptop. Much thanks is due to her dad for uploading practically every Disney movie to her computer. We were unsure how all of the children would behave during the course of a 90-minute movie, so we made a rule that no one could talk once the movie commenced. This was completely unnecessary, because as soon as the picture came on, a hush fell about the room. We probably had around 50 children packed into this small room to intently watch Aladdin and Abu embark on an unforgettable journey. The first time that the children laughed, a tear came to my eye. I never realized quite how much I had growing up until I saw how these children soaked in a simple cartoon. On Sunday evening, we finished watching Aladdin and then the children requested my favorite, The Lion King. I know, it seems a bit stereotypical to watch this while in Africa, but of course we did! This is now the second time in the past eleven days that I have watched it. J It was nearing dinnertime when Mufasa had just saved SImba from the stampede, and then lo and behold, the computer died. It was actually quite impeccable timing. Haha We promised to finish later this week, and are now going to make watching a movie a treat for the children each weekend, when they actually have free time to enjoy a nice break from school.

Now comes the frustration… I started reviewing the test with P7 yesterday, and came to the realization that the vast majority of the class scored lower than 30%. One by one, I went through each question, and would explain to the best of my ability how to come to the correct answer. Only two or three out of the twenty-one in the class could even begin to comprehend the correct answer. It’s difficult because each Saturday, P7 takes a cumulative test. The problem results from the lack of knowledge in the basics of math, therefore, the children continue to fall further behind. It’s also quite frustrating, because the language barrier prevents me from expressing my full concern to the math teacher, Mr. Frank. I know that he loves the kids, but I don’t know how to get him to understand that things need to change when practically the entire class is failing their tests. Jeffrey, one of the volunteers from Chapel Hill told me yesterday morning that Mr. Frank approached him and asked if her could take over P7 because the children understand male accents better… Though it hurts to know that Mr. Frank does not have faith in my ability to teach P7, I want the children to succeed in math before their end of primary school exam in August. Please pray that out of this summer, P7 will be able to have a consistent teacher that will be able to explain math in a way that is understandable to them. In the words of John Mayer, “something’s missing and I don’t know how to fix it.” Thankfully, I know the One who does, and my honest prayer is that the children of New Hope will be able to learn not only school subjects from us, but will know that they are loved and valued in our eyes, but more importantly, in God’s eyes. I know that Jeffrey has the same frustrations with his P4 class, so he sat in on my class yesterday afternoon. Also pray that I will have patience to understand how the school system works, because the lack of communication between all of the staff at the school has been starting to wear on me.

“Thou, and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art”

Two insanely amazing things happened before I went into P7 yesterday. The first was before lunch, when I was buying time, so I decided to organize all of my things in my suitcase. My iPod was on shuffle, and a snippet from a Beth Moore study of “Beloved Disciple” came on. She was describing how God’s children please Him in various ways, and you cannot always compare yourself to others and their personal walks. She spoke of performing a ballet to the tune of “Be Thou my vision,” and as she recited the four verses of the hymn, it made me stop in my tracks and completely forget all about my frustrations of teaching. When I take time to let God truly be my vision and light, there is nothing that can take me away from His purpose in my life. He is my joy, and I refuse to get sidetracked by the little mishaps of the day. After this encounter with God, I was prepared to go teach…

“His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me"

I gave P6 12 problems to work on individually to see how they comprehended the material. That was the first time that we had silent work, and oh, how God used those 30 minutes. Amy was teaching P7 English next door, and she was reviewing a passage and answering questions with the children. The passage came from Matthew 6, where Jesus is telling his disciples not to worry, for God even cares for the birds. I have heard this story on numerous occasions, but I needed so desperately to be reminded not to worry about the little things. God has me here at New Hope for a purpose, and I refuse to let my little frustrations take my focus off of the amazing things that God is doing. He didn’t let me forget how much is truly is working here, because much to my surprise, yesterday P7 was the best class that I have had yet. Almost everyone was volunteering to answer questions, and they actually understood what we were reviewing. It was so refreshing to step back and take in what Beth Moore would call a God stop, which stands for “savoring the observable presence.” That was just what I did too, observed how much my God truly shows up in my daily life, especially when you seek Him first. In the past twelve days, whether it has been seeing the kids or getting to know the other volunteers or doing my Beth Moore study, I am learning to truly exercise an “active-present-participle faith,” coined by Beth Moore of course. This simply means to actively pursue a walk of faith in your daily life, and honestly, it has drawn my attention to God everywhere. I am so thankful for this opportunity, and I cannot stop praising His Holy name.

I hope that you can see how active God is in your life, and that you will start to take God stops in during your day. It makes all of the difference in how joyful I am now. I will let you know when more God stops show up here at New Hope. Let me know when you have them too!

I love you all dearly. Savor our great and gracious God!!

"Renew my mind as Your will unfolds in my life" ~Hillsong

I am nearing the end of my first week here at New Hope. I cannot believe that in less than seven weeks, I will be returning to North Carolina. Since last time, I have become a math teacher for Primary 6 and 7. The children go to school year round, with one-month breaks in between terms. I have gotten a glimpse of the daily lives of the children, and I honestly do not know how they make it through each day. They get up at four to pray and do chores before their first class at 6:30. Many mornings, the children do not get to eat breakfast before this first class, so they eat whenever the cook comes. To fully describe the concept of Ugandan time would take me more time than you’d probably be willing to take, but basically, they don’t have one. It has been quite frustrating to stick to my teaching schedule, because the other teachers do not stick to one. It is next to impossible to set up a meeting with the staff because they will not be on time. It is no big deal for someone to show up two to three hours late. Dad, this rivals you, haha, just kidding. Though I am nowhere close to fully understanding how this culture functions this way, Amy helped me start to make sense of it. She said that Americans are task-oriented people, whereas Ugandans are relationship-oriented. This means that Americans are more likely to push back time with family and friends, or other work in order to complete a task. I know that I fall victim to this often, but Ugandans are quite the opposite. They will wait until they are finished visiting with others to get to the next task. When put in these terms, I am attempting to view my time here as a Ugandan.

Thankfully, the time that I have gotten to spend with the children in class has been awesome. I have made a pact with P6 to teach them a new chant/cheer each week. We do these cheers when they successfully complete their exercises or have gotten a grasp on a new concept. Even the boys really enjoy it, so of course, this is my favorite part of class. They have no idea what cheerleading is, so I tried to explain that we are people who help bring a team to victory. I equated it to winning a game of Red Rover. J This they understand. P7 is the last grade of primary school, so after this term, they will take the big exam to determine whether of not they can proceed to secondary school. My heart goes out to this class, because they are constantly in class preparing from 6:30 – 6:30. They have a morning break, an hour lunch break, and an afternoon break, but many times they do not get to have all of their breaks. Today is Heroes Day in Uganda, so many of the children did not have a full day of school, except for P7. Every Saturday leading up to their exam, they have a test in all four classes. I understand that they need to be well prepared for their exam, but I am trying to make their learning experience fun and interesting. It is important that all of the children know that you truly care for them, which is why it is so fantastic to have volunteers teach, yet also play and bond with the kids outside of the classroom. All of the children are ‘caned’ or spanked with a narrow strip of stick if they misbehave. When I came to the realization that this was going on, I almost became sick. A lot of the time, it doesn’t seem to me like any of the children are even acting up. Understanding a different culture has been quite difficult at times this week, because automatically I want to function like an American. This morning I was starting to get frustrated with the various odors, along with the heat and living conditions, but as soon as I got to the orphanage this morning, none of my complaints matter when I see the children. They are why I am here.

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” ~Isaiah 40:31

This verse is hanging on Uncle Ken’s living room wall, where we eat all of our meals. I noticed it while eating lunch today, and it made me put things into perspective. I know that my strength comes from God every single day. It is easy to fall to my human failings when it comes to harping on the difference between here and home, but I cannot succumb to those negative thoughts when I think about how much God is using and shaping me here. Uncle Peter, which is a good friend of Uncle Ken, came to visit yesterday and is staying until Sunday. After lunch, Amy, Maylott, Jeffrey and I were sitting in the living room, and Uncle Peter asked us why we came to New Hope. We all gave our stories about finding New Hope, but what has stayed with me from this conversation is the unity that the children have brought to all of us. It may be somewhat selfish, but one of my main reasons for experiencing Uganda is to attempt to understand the joy that they possess. As Americans, we are taught to help those less fortunate, and teach them our ways. Now that I am here, I do not want to do that at all. They do not need all of the comforts of an American lifestyle, what they need is to know that they are cared about. The children’s basic needs are being met, and yes this is possible because of generous people who have volunteered their time and money, but this does not bring the joy that the children have. I am so overwhelmingly blessed to be able to experience the fellowship that these children share with each other daily. The older children truly parent the younger ones. They function as their own family, and are closer than any American siblings that I’ve known. It makes me miss my brothers so much. Justin, I wish you could see how the older boys aid the younger ones in sports. You would fit in perfectly the way you are such a great leader. They would love to hear about how you fix up cars and wire speakers. I cannot believe that you are graduating today!! I wish I could see you walk, but please know that I love you, even though I may not show it near enough. Christopher, the children would hang on to your every word. They love to have male volunteers come. I guess it is the void of a male authority figure in their life.

“Shout unto God with a voice of triumph” ~Hillsong

As far as music goes, I am starting to write down lyrics to the songs that I teach the kids. Olivia especially loves music, and she is such a joy to be around. It is absolutely endearing to hear her hum “Waves of mercy, waves of grace” or the chorus of David Crowder’s “Undignified.” I must constantly be thinking of new songs to teach. Today during the morning break, Olivia and I sang “Lean on Me” perhaps thirty times, along with “Do-Re-Mi” and “Waves of mercy” (which for the life of me, I cannot remember the name to that song). I also explained what David Crowder meant when he sang about being ‘undignified.’ I believe that she understood what I was talking about. I think I’m going to introduce the children to Hillsong tomorrow. Apart from my music, I love learning their Lugandan songs. Most are set to games, which are played while holding hands in a circle while one person skips around the inside and chooses another. It’s identical to “Little Sally Walker,” but with much cooler words. I am probably going to butcher this spelling, but phonetically it sounds like this. “Simba ne na ne kelele, ke, kelele kelele een-ya een-ya kelele kelele nya-oos.” It is so much fun to sing! I have a video of it from yesterday. I cannot wait to see how the music program continues to develop in the next few weeks.

“Rid me of myself, I belong to You” ~Hillsong

This has been my greatest struggle this week, getting over myself in order to more fully submit to God’s will, which is why I must tell you about my new Beth Moore Bible study. I love taking her with me places! It is called “Believing God,” and this week, I have focused on “four motivations for a life of believing God.” It has focused on the incomparable power that God gives to those who believe, that we were made for God’s pleasure, and through faith we please God, which is our highest goal, and how important our faith is to God. I need this study to remind me that I cannot focus on my selfish ambitions and myself in general while I’m here. Just now, as I am writing this and singing along to Hillsong, a few of the children came to my window simply to thank me for singing. How precious are they? They astound me, and I cannot wait to show you all pictures and videos of them. One of my girls in P6, Barbara, wrote me a letter this week. She just wanted to let me know that she loved me and that “[my] love has made [her] happy.” Relationships matter so much, and God is absolutely turning my world around in respect to this concept. I cannot wait to get to know these children better, because they are so loving and welcoming. In fact, the town in general is extremely welcoming, every time we walk anywhere, all of the little children crowded alongside the road shout out “muzungu, how are you?” Muzungu is Lugandan for ‘foreigner.’ This culture is very blunt, so they call you out like they see it, literally. It is not a surprise for someone to refer to another as “the fat one” or “the lame one.” They are not insults, merely fact. It has taken a while to get used to, but it actually makes sense somewhat. I am learning so much about American culture, simply in contrast to Ugandan. I cannot wait to update you about life here, please do the same with me! I miss you all immensely!

See you soon! Lots of love! May God bless you greatly!