The craziest/coolest things I've learned so far...

Ok so some other quick highlights from the last two weeks…

So last week we went down to the clinic our father owns (which I thought was a hospital and told them I wanted to help out in it – when we got there found out it’s a little pharmacy with one woman working…awwwwkward. So now Rebecca has told the woman I want to help – but there is nothing I can do. Gotta love miscommunications). Anyways it turned out to be a huge blessing because we started playing with some neighborhood kids outside the clinic. Soon it turned into a mob of 20+ kids all running around like crazy. They pretty much would just follow anything we did – we played circle games, did the chicken dance, the hokey pokey, and then when we were out of ideas they started teaching us some of their games! It was so much fun. We played with them for almost 2 and a half hours…so cute!
A few haikus to go along with it:

Small children laughing
Their hearts are so full of joy
What precious smiles

Struggling at home
To find my place in it all
Hoping it comes soon

Also last week I had the privilege of learning how to milk the cow! Instead of the milkman who was coming now its our new friend Samuel – who is 16 I think – the brother of the family up the road who we have gotten to know well. He just got back from a trip but now he's over every morning and night to milk and feed the cow. He’s so sweet and fun to have around. He sings songs every night while he’s milking – sometimes in Luganda and sometimes stuff he makes up about Megan and I. After the second time I helped him milk he said that I’m becoming a pro and when I go back to the US I can tell my mom to buy me a cow and then milk it for my family! What an honor that would be. Funny cause if he only knew where I lived…what a different culture.

Musumba (host father) is now done taking classes at UCU so he has a lot more free time at home which has been such a blessing. He has started playing cards with us almost every night after dinner. Turns out he’s SUPER competitive! But its all in a very nice, playful way. During the game, though, he’s full of trash talk “watch out for the train (loser train), its comin your way!” “go down (draw) go down, I know you don’t have it” “I’m gonna ‘changa-changa’ (shuffle) you – be ready” – he’s too funny! Can’t wait to come back and share the card game though – its like crazy eights, but better!

Ok we also learned how to do laundry. Dang. I have never given washing machines the credit they deserve. Its hard work, and they do it so well! The key phrase here is “power and energy, power and energy!” Rebecca and Imme helped us the first time but subsequent times mostly just correct/rebuke us – they have been known to make us re-wash things. Which is for our benefit, I know. Its funny though – we have to bend over (no squatting!) our basins and scrub scrub scrub! And of course a few days ago we came home during a break from classes to do laundry because it was sooo hot so it seemed like a good time to get the clothes to dry quickly. Of course as soon as we were back at school it started pouring rain! Awesome. We just looked at each other and laughed. What else can you do.

Also last weekend I went with a few of the IMME girls to an orphanage – which was really cool. They house about 50 kids, mostly girls – ages ranging from 4-23. We helped the girls with their laundry in the morning (they are so nice – even when you do something wrong they let you do it and then will just redo it after you are done so as to not have to criticize you for it), played games with them, and then spoke to them after lunch. We just shared some testimonies of what God is doing/has done in our lives and prayed God spoke to them through us somehow. I’m excited to go back and be able to spend some more quality time with them.

Went to church in Kampala last Sunday – learned how to take a Matatu (15-passenger van/taxi) into the city. Met up with some friends of friends who are living in Kampala (they studied abroad here a few years ago). Heard some CRAZY stories that I will relay upon return. But something one of the guys said really got me thinking – he asked if we thought we would return to Uganda after this semester. It is weird to think about coming back here – I have no idea what I could be doing by the time that would be an option…but even more weird to think about going back to the US and living life as normal there without ever returning to Africa. We’ll see what God has in store.

In class we just finished reading a book called Primal Vision – by John Taylor. Its about Africa and their religions here and what Christianity looks like for them, and the different ways that a Western view is perhaps insufficient or even incorrect as we try to present the gospel to them. It was a really good book – and really challenging. I have never thought before about just how limited my faith is. Especially things that sitting in the US I know I would have completely disregarded as false – now sitting in Africa I am forced to really look at and realize there is truth in them. Prayers would be appreciated as we continue to pray through and sort out all the challenges of the book and of life here.

Also this week Megan and I cooked dinner for our family. Each student is supposed to cook an American dinner of sorts for the family. We decided to do fajitas (I know its Mexican, but it worked) and they turned out really well! Our sisters went with us to the market and helped us buy everything (including a whole chicken and some beef that was sitting out in the warm sun gathering flies). When I was pulling apart the chicken and out flew its gizzard I just laughed thinking I would never cook like this in the US. But it was fun and they loved it! It was hilarious watching them stuff huge tacos into their mouths. Oh and I made guacamole and that was for sure my favorite part! We are hoping to make no-bake cookies soon – which should be excellent.

Oh but how could I forget?!? The MOST IMPORTANT/CRAZIEST thing I have learned yet!!! Ok there is this mysterious noise that sounds like an electronic beeping all over campus. For the last three weeks I was so baffled by this – what on earth is that? Like a GPS or satellite or something? It sounded louder in some places but then the next day non-existent there. So confused. Then I learned that it’s a BIRD!!! The intern adequately named it the catchphrase bird because that’s EXACTLY what it sounds like. We also have them near our house and now I just laugh every time I hear it because I am so blown away by the fact that it’s a bird. I love it.

Ok that’s it for now – thank you all for your prayers, they are greatly appreciated! Thanks for keeping me updated on your lives too – for those of you I haven’t heard from, tell me what’s up! Miss and love you!