Yes, I do actually have school work to do here!

Last week was finals week! As most finals weeks are, last week was pretty pretty chaotic and stressful. I had two exams (ethics and politics) on Tuesday. Both exams were 3 hours each and included only essay questions. So I wrote essays for 6 hours Tuesday! My hand was seriously numb afterwards. But I rewarded myself with 2 chapattis so it was totally worth it :)After exams, I had final papers to write in my other classes. A heavy burden was lifted when I turned in my two portfolios! Here is a picture of our classroom where we spent a lot of time!

It feels weird to be finished with the semester...it really seems like it just started! But I guess time flies when you’re having fun :)

...Jinja...

A couple of weekends ago 3 of us got a private-hire to take us to Jinja for the day. There, we visited a 21-year-old girl from Nashville. For her privacy’s sake, I’ll call her Emily. Emily lives in Jinja and has become a mother to 14 orphaned/abandoned girls. We spent the day playing not just with her daughters, but with 100 of the local children! It was so much fun! Emily told us how she had come to adopt her daughters...and how that was not in her original plans at all! She told us how God had shown her His will for her life. Now she is a mother and loves living in Uganda...she never plans to ever live in America again. I have many great pictures but I will not post them on the internet.
The End

Easter with the Elephants!

Over the Easter weekend, 14 USP students went to Murchison Falls in northwestern Uganda on a safari! It was great fun and a nice break from schoolwork! We had a 4-day weekend (no school Friday or Monday!) so it was the best time to go. We left Thursday night and travelled to Kampala, where we stayed at Red Chile Rest Camp for the night...it was an interesting experience. We were in one big room with lots of other guests. It reminded me of a European hostel or something.

We left early the next morning on our bus to begin the 6 hr drive up to northern Uganda. We stopped halfway in a town called Misindi to eat lunch. After eating, we continued our way to Murchison Falls. We arrived and settled in to our tents for the weekend. We then walked down to the Nile River to walk around. We saw lots of warthogs on the way! We called them ‘Pumba’ from that point on...ya know, from the Lion King???

The next morning we left at 6:30 for the safari adventure! We took a ferry to the other side of the Nile. Somehow our group got on the ferry before our leader (His name was James), so we arrived on the other shore before him! I’ll tell you that we were warned the night before to not eat anything if we saw baboons around because they would come and harass us for our food! Well, it was early in the morning and I was hungry and hadn’t finished my breakfast so I took it along with me. That was the mistake. I was just standing there happily eating my chapatti when one of the girls in our group suddenly told me she saw a baboon and I better hide my food! But it was too late. I had seen the baboon and the baboon had seen me...with my food. So there he came. He began chasing me in circles as I was screaming and for some reason still eating!! One of the guides saw this happening and he yelled at me to give my food to the baboon! But I was NOT going to waste my chapatti on a baboon, so I dug in my bag and threw my banana at him instead. Whew...I was legitimately scared.

Anyways...the safari was great!! We saw antelope, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, and some of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen! I learned that Uganda has the most species of bird life in all of Africa...

Later that afternoon, we went on a boat ride down the Nile River to the waterfall. It was so beautiful! We rode on a double-decker boat, so we could sit on benches on the lower deck in the shade or walk around the top. We saw so many hippos and crocodiles! We also saw some elephants walking around the bank of the river...
The next day (Sunday) we hiked around the top of the falls. I was right at the edge and looked over...again, it was some of the most beautiful scenery! Because of the position of the sun when we were there around 9 am, rainbows were inside the waterfall! Thankfully, the even appeared in my pics! So at some point I will post them on facebook.

We returned back to Mukono Sunday night. I wish I had been able to spend Easter with my family here, but I got to hang out with them all day Monday! My sister Lilly and I went to a “Gospel Crusade” Monday night...that was pretty interesting. It was outside under a huge tent...the praise team was also a dance team. One thing I have noticed while being here is that Ugandans dance at EVERYTHING!! Weddings, church, Bible studies, Gospel crusades, school, etc.!

So that was my Easter weekend! I hope you all had a great Easter with your families! :)

"My chains are gone! I've been set free!"

Like Lipscomb, we have chapel (called community worship here) Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s always led by a praise and worship team and some very talented musicians! Last Tuesday, the USP students were in charge of leading community worship for the entire student body! It was a great worship experience! Amanda R. led it and played guitar, Mary also played guitar, Sarah played the djembe (what I call a bongo drum), I played the keyboard, Nate played the drums, and the rest of the group sang as the choir. It was so much fun and the Ugandans really enjoyed, too!

This is me with the source of the Nile in the background.

*Jinja: The Source of the Nile River*

Hello again! This one may be long...

We went to Jinja 2 weekends ago. We stayed at an actual RESORT called Kingfisher. It was so beautiful!! Lake Victoria was behind the resort. That Friday night we talked with some American missionaries who have been in Uganda since 1998. They are prison missionaries; they serve 3 prisons, 2 adult prisons and 1 youth prison. They shared with us some incredible stories of how God changed the hearts of those whom we would call “the worst of the worst.”

Later that night, our group went swimming in the pool! The pool was huge and went under a bridge, which led to another pool that had a slide coming from yet another pool! It was so much fun! It was our first time swimming while in Uganda. After swimming, one of the girls played the guitar and we just sat around the pool singing worship songs.

The next day we went to a cafe in Jinja called ‘The Source Cafe.’ As you may know, Jinja is the source of the Nile River. Water begins flowing north from Lake Victoria to start the Nile River! The water takes about 4 months to finally reach the Mediterranean Sea.

After having lunch, some other missionaries took us on a tour of Jinja which was really interesting! We walked to see the ‘source of the Nile’ (where the water starts to flow) below us.
Later that afternoon, we took a boat ride in Lake Victoria. We rode past the shore, where we saw an otter and a cobra!! The boat driver threw a water bottle at it and it rose up and flared its head out (best description I can give, sorry!). It was really cool! We then rode over to the island where the river flows around. We got out and climbed around on some big rocks...then we walked around the tiny island. We got back in the boat and rode back to Kingfisher!

While we still had some free time, some of us went swimming again! It was loads of fun :) We even made up a synchronized swimming routine which was hilarious! The other guests at the resort even stopped what they were doing and watched us. We also sang while doing it! One of the girls videotaped it, so I have it on my computer!
Later that night, we went to eat at this really cool outdoor restaurant called 2 Friends. It was in the jungle, and was lit by tiki lamps, lanterns, and candles. We had some of the best pizza ever! As well as garlic bread, garlic naam (flatbread), milkshakes, chocolate cake...

It was a great weekend :)

I'll post a pic on here (if i can) or facebook!

Some insight to HIV...

AIDS is real. And it is everywhere. I must be honest; when I thought of Africa (before coming here), I thought of poverty and disease, particularly AIDS. Upon arriving in Uganda, I seemed to forget the prevalence of AIDS around me, as I began to adjust to a new home, university, and culture. I never saw anyone who ‘looked
sick.’

After a couple of weeks, a neighbor in our village was visiting us one Sunday after church. She had brought her one-year-old daughter with her. After an hour or so of small talk and getting to know each other, she told me she was HIV positive. I was a bit shocked, although I am not sure why. I guess I had forgotten that HIV was ‘real’; two weeks had already passed and I had yet to meet anyone with AIDS. She told me how she was dealing with the virus and that she had been counseled during pregnancy to take precautionary measures to ensure that her unborn baby would not contract the virus. Today, her daughter is a happy and healthy baby!

When we visited TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) a couple of weeks ago, we met with many individuals who were affected by HIV. Surprisingly, most of them appeared quite healthy. They shared their personal stories of how and when they contracted the virus and how it has affected (and continues to affect) them emotionally and psychologically. Hearing their stories of how it felt to be made fun of and discriminated against grabbed my heart. Listening to their feelings from a first-hand account made me realize the reality of HIV.

Later that night I talked with my host mom about HIV/AIDS. I told her how I was surprised that I had only met one person with HIV (excluding the people at TASO) while here. She looked at me and slowly shook her head. She told me she could tell me the names of several people, whom I had met, who I did not know were affected by HIV. My mom then went on to list off people whom I had befriended in the village who have AIDS. Neighbors, shopkeepers, friends, families.

She proceeded to tell me about Lilly’s parents. At the beginning of the semester, Lilly, my mom’s niece, came to live with us and attend a nearby secondary school. I had believed Lilly was with us primarily to attend school, but that night I was told she came to live with us because both of her parents were dying with AIDS. All I could think about was if I were in Lilly’s shoes, in the place of a 15-year-old girl whose parents were dying. I was I was so overwhelmed with this; I could not help but to start crying right there in our living room.

Both of these situations have opened up the true reality to me that AIDS is real and it is here, all around us. Most of the people whom I learned have AIDS look healthy. I admit that I have been making assumptions of people based on their outward appearances, assuming everyone I met was healthy; it is only when we engage ourselves with people that we learn more about them and more of who they really are. Living and engaging with others is how and when we begin to share our hurts and struggles together.

"...when you helped the least of these, you also helped me."

It was 11:30 p.m. last Tuesday night when we heard a knock on the door. Wondering who could possibly want to visit at such a late time, my host mom opened the door, a bit frustrated. A lady holding a baby stood there. She came inside and sat down and began explaining her reason for coming. My host mom is a leader in the village council, so when people have problems, they come to her or another leader.
She went on to explain that she was walking to her home when she heard a baby crying. After following the sound, she found the baby alone in an abandoned house. Unsure of what to do or how to handle the situation, she came to our house. After explaining the situation, the lady gave the baby to my mom and left.

Trying to digest what had just been presented to her, my mom knew she needed to meet his immediate needs before taking any further action. She boiled some milk and made milk to for him to drink. He looked very malnourished, dirty, and acted very hungry; he had probably not been fed in a couple of days. She then bathed him. My mom cared for this complete stranger as if he were her own child.
In both the Faith and Action and African Traditional Religions classes, we have discussed the strong sense of African community. I have experienced this to be true many times during my Mukono and Kapchorwa homestays, but this was different. This specific experience made an impression on me like none of the others. The little baby was not a part of her immediate community, neither did she know him from anywhere. Many people may have thought of this situation as nothing extraordinary, but it struck me as a different type of community I had not yet experienced here.

He slept with mom in her bed; he got up and cried throughout the night as all hungry babies do!! Needless to say, none of us got any sleep Monday night. But it was totally worth it. On Tuesday, Mom called the police to report him, but the police didn’t help. At all. Luckily, the lady who brought him Monday night found some relatives of the baby. They came and got him Tuesday night! I was sad to see the little guy leave, but I knew he was going to family members who would care for him.

This expression of community was meeting the needs of a stranger who could not care for himself. He had been abandoned and was alone, hungry, and dirty with no one to help him. Watching how my host mom reacted to the situation was wonderful; she did not shy away from this filthy stranger; she lovingly took him in with embrace. I felt as if I were watching Jesus reach out to those the world had abandoned. At that moment I realized that my community is not just the village I live in with people I know. My community can be anyone whom I meet who is in need.

Are You a Musawo??

I started volunteering last Wednesday at the local hospital, Mukono Health Centre. I’ll be in different wards every two weeks...last week and this week I’ve been in the maternity ward! I’ve really enjoyed it! I even have an official scrub outfit, which includes a nice green dress with a collar, and it buttons up the front. The midwives wear white, they told me green shows I’m still a student :) I have been assisting the midwives with prenatal checkups; I have learned how to palpate the stomach to determine how far along the expectant mother is, then I get to use the fetoscope to hear the baby’s heartbeat. In addition to that, I take the mothers’ blood pressures and medical histories before their exams. The most incredible aspect of volunteering so far happened last Thursday...

I witnessed the birth of a baby!! I even helped pour an antiseptic-something on the cotton balls the midwives used :)

This is us under one of the waterfalls!!!

*Sipi Falls*

To end our time in Kapchorwa, all the USP students stayed in cabins on the side of the mountain. It was called Crows Nest. From our cabin, we saw the largest waterfall that comprises part of Sipi Falls. That Saturday, we went on a 6 hour hike to all 3 waterfalls! It was an incredibly fun and an amazingly beautiful hike! After a few hours, we stopped to eat lunch in a cave-like structure behind one of the waterfalls; then we played in the waterfall! We got completely drenched and we loved it.

After eating and playing, we continued hiking. We climbed down a ladder made of sticks; it was the same ladder that I saw in the first CCCU magazine that had first advertized the Uganda Studies Program! So that was pretty cool :)

*Kapchorwa- the land of a friend*

After riding in a small crowded van over bumps and potholes for 5 hours, we finally arrived in Kapchorwa, Uganda, where we would spend the next 9 days for our rural homestays. Most students were alone with their families, but I stayed with another USP student, Shanley. Our family was incredible!! Our host dad, Moses, was a reverend and stayed home during the day. Our mom, Justine, was a 3rd grade teacher. Our little sister, Isabella, was a little devil!! She was extremely ornery...but she was cute when she slept! haha! Our house was made of sticks and mud.

I don't have enough room to tell everything we did that week...but I'll tell some of the highlights! We helped fetch water from the well every day. It was a 10 min. walk downhill to the well, then a 15 min. hike back uphill, which wasn't very fun. Shanley and I felt like such weaklings compared to the other women, esp. our host mom! We struggled carrying one bucket of water each while out mother carried one on her head and 2 buckets with her hands, while being 8 months pregnant! wow...

While there, I slaughtered my first chicken :) I stepped on its wings, held its head with my right hand, then sawed its neck with my left hand. Descriptive enough?? We then poured boiling water over the chicken; this helps remove the feathers. We then cut the guts out, then cut the chicken into pieces (wing, leg, thigh, etc.) After cooking for a couple of hours, we had chicken that night with our supper! I killed another chicken later in the week...same process.

One day we went with our mom and dad to the prenatal check-up. The nurses tested them again for HIV. The nurse showed me how to perform the HIV test, then how to read the results. That was really neat!

2 days while we were there, our dad took us hiking. We hiked to the top of a cliff, overlooking one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. We could see so far into the distance, where the land and sky blended together in a beautiful blue color. I'll post pics on Facebook!!

Our family didn't have electricity,either, of course, so we spent the evenings talking by the light of the lantern. We absolutely loved our time with our Kapchorwa family.

There's so much more to tell, but I'll wait til I get home to share all the stories!!

My Gomiss was "tailor-made for me"

Hello again!! First and foremost, thanks to everyone for the concerns about me regarding the child sacrifices and mudslides here in Uganda...I am ok!!
A few weeks ago, I attended my first Ugandan wedding! Earlier that week, my host mom took me to a local tailor to get measurements for my gomiss, the traditional Ugandan dress!! We picked up the gomiss on Friday, and I wore it to the wedding that Saturday! It is pretty awesome :) The wedding and reception were a total of NINE hours...wow! But it was a lot of fun!

I'll load a pic of me in my gomiss on facebook. feel free to laugh. :)

Tombs, Palaces, and Parliament

Hey everyone!!

A couple of weeks ago we had a USP worship just for the students in the study abroad program. It was an incredible night of prayer and worship; we sang lots of Sanctuary songs, which I loved!!

That weekend, we went on a field trip to the Kusubi tombs, the burial place of Buganda's kings. They are buried in what is the biggest thatched-roof hut in the world!! I thought that was pretty cool :)

This past weekend we went on a field trip to Parliament. We got to see where they meet! In the foyer, there are several pictures of the different clans that comprise Buganda. I got my picture taken beside my "clan," the lungfish :)

After Parliament, we went to one of the King's palaces. It was beautiful! There is a manmade lake which we saw from the top of the hill. From the hill, we saw the city of Kampala below. Kampala got its name because there were many impalas in the area. A man whose name started with a 'K' decided to name it 'Kampala!

Also from this hill (we could see a LOT), we saw a hill that was given to the first Catholics in the area, now there is a large Catholic church on the hill. Another hill was given to the Muslims. We saw their mosque, which was incredible! It is the biggest mosque in East Africa.

Below the palace there was a secret passageway that led to the “torture chamber.” They would lock up prisoners, a.k.a. anyone who was against the government, and let them starve to death.

There's a bit more to come :)
We leave for our rural home stays tomorrow for 10 days!! I won't have any form of communication while there...

Yes, I'm still alive!! :)

Hello everyone!
Sorry I haven’t written in a while...I’ve been so busy and the internet doesn’t work all the time...
About 3 weeks ago we went to Luwero, Uganda, for the weekend. That Friday night, we met with a local Anglican priest. He talked with us about his ministry here. Saturday morning, we went to the Luwero Child Development Center which is run by Compassion International. We first talked with the leaders of the organization; they told us how they had once been sponsored through the program; they really know how to relate to the kids! The kids did a traditional dance for us as a sign of their appreciation for our coming.
That night, we met with a local Catholic priest. He told us about his ministry in Luwero. He told us a heart-wrenching story. Many years ago, he was walking down the road when he saw a little girl in the ditch crying. He knelt down beside her to see what was wrong. She proceeded to tell him her story. Both of her parents had died from AIDS, and she was HIV positive. When her grandmother learned of her illness, she kicked her out of the house, telling her she was worthless. The little girl was 10 at the time. The priest took her in and cared for her, giving her an opportunity to live her life to the fullest. She is now in college, doing well. What kind of grandmother could/would do that to such a young child??? It blew me away.
The following day was Sunday. We went to mass at his church. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had while here. The small building would be condemned by America’s standard...the benches were backless. It was sufficient though!
Everyone sang in Luganda (the local language). 2 medium-sized drums were used to keep beat. It was awesome!! At the end, the priest danced for everyone...his dance included a lot of “horizontal movement” if you know what I mean :)
At the end of the service, fruits were auctioned off to raise money for the church. What an interesting way to fundraise!!

I have a LOT more to post, but it shall have to come later!!

Update from Buggujo Village :)

Hello everyone!! Sorry I haven't updated in a while...the internet decides when it wants to work and when it doesn't want to work!! So the past week has been very interesting: I've learned to..wash clothes from a basin, eat cooked ants and not worry about it (sorry mom!! haha), live in/eat from unsanitary conditions, peel pineapples, eat cabbage, live without running water, use primitive outdoor bathroom facilities, and bathe in the dark from a basin....
So I've been missing my family and friends from home, but my host family has been great!! My host mom's name is Harriet, my host brothers are Joshua, 16, Jonah, 15, and David, 20. On Sunday, we went to the English church service. The songs we sang are songs we sing back home either in chapel, church, or Sanctuary (which I miss by the way!)On Tuesday, we went to a graduation party. It was a combination between an American outdoor wedding and reception, a baby shower, church service, and New Year's. The chairs were set up outside with an aisle down the middle. The graduate marched down the aisle with her mother. Then we sang some songs, and then the preacher gave a 30 min. sermon. Then the graduate gave a 30 min. speech. Finally, we ate!! The food was great! After eating, each person walked up and gave the graduate a present. THEN we had a countdown until the graduate cut her cake! After eating cake (which was TERRIBLE), the dancing started!! Oh my...that was a night to remember. They tried to teach me a local Ugandan dance....I didn't do so well. ha! well, i've got class in 10 min. so goodbye!! Love and miss you all!!

Hike to Monkey Hill

News from Nakitende

Hey everyone!! Today is Thursday, January 14th. I have an hour before class starts, so I'm taking this opp. to update! :) On Tuesday, we hiked "Monkey Hill." Yes, it got that name because there are tons of monkeys! There were some beautiful birds there, too. We then continued the hike up to the Prayer Mountain. It's a place you can go to pray and just sit in the presence of God. You can see the valley below and Lake Victoria in the distance. It is abolutley beautiful!
So about my host family...I love them!! They are some amazing people! They've been teaching me some of their native language, Luganda. I've caught on to some words and phrases, and I can understand some conversations now! Last night, they gave me a Ugandan name, Nakitende.
I'm taking classes at Uganda Christian University. I'm in Traditional African Religions, Faith and Action, East African Politics, Understanding Ethis, and a Cross-Cultural Missions Practicum course.
I absolutely LOOVVEEE it here in Uganda. Adios for now :)

Hello from Mukono, Uganda!! We arrived at 3:30 am local time Friday morning. Because it was so late, we randomly went to a convent in the jungle to stay until later that morning. Ok...a bit random!! Then we came to the college where we'll be studying, Uganda Christian University. After a tour of campus, we had supper in the dining hall, which is outside with a roof. The views are beautiful here!!!
Today is Monday, our classes start today! I have a 10 minute walk to school. I have a lot more to post, but I have class in 10 minutes so I'll update when I can!!