I am sitting here trying to think of a way to start this blog and what I am going to write. I’ve been thinking about it for a week or so now and have been procrastinating writing once again. Sometimes my mind just totally blanks and no ideas come, so I am hoping you will be okay with my simple blog on L I F E. I don’t have anything amazingly inspirational to write or some big, huge story to tell. But everyone has a different lifestyle, no two lives mesh up to be exactly the same. Everyone has their own story. So, I have decided to tell you my story and about L I F E here, what I have been doing, what I love about being here, my day-to-day shenanigans, what ministry looks like for me.
First and foremost, my love for matooke has grown immensely. Matooke is a green plantain banana that is peeled, steamed, and mashed. It’s usually served with sauce like beans or ground nut sauce. My favorite meal ever is simply, a plate full of matooke, beans, cabbage, and rice. Yum. Seriously, its the best. BBQ ribs got nothing on that.
I’ve come to accept the fact that my hair will never be smooth, straight, and knot-free. Boda rides make that all impossible. Also the lack of any sort of hairdryer or flat iron makes the “smooth and straight” part more complicated.
Cold showers have become a normal. Also, washing laundry by hand every week. Clumps of red mud on your shoes 24/7 has also become normal. Either that, or you scrub them every other day, especially during rainy season.
The beauty of an African sunset never gets old.
One night four of us girls (Erica, Elle, Mel, and I) decided that we needed to get out of our small town. So we took the RUHU car and headed for Javas for dinner. And let me just say, four mzungus driving in rush hour Kampala traffic with bodas zooming all around and a driver who hasn’t had much experience with the crazy driving of Kampala, can call for an anxiety attack. Don’t worry though, we made it there and home safe, sound, and all in one piece.
My weekdays are spent doing ministry at Raising Up Hope. Every day is different. I can honestly say that not one day is the same as last weeks day or yesterday or the day before. Plans are changing all the time. One day I will be teaching English to a class of 15 students; reading stories, having spelling tests, teaching about the future and past tense, and explaining to them why they can’t say “I like to go in China. I go to school yesterday.” The next day I will find myself sitting at the Safe House in a small little room talking life with Mama Olivia and sweet Joanne, while cuddling little baby Jordan in my arms. While yet the next day is filled with meetings and administrative work. And even the next day I can find myself painting the walls of the school or heading to the slums for an afternoon of cooking rice, bandaging open wounds, visiting a small one-roomed home full of 8 teenage girls and simply sitting and listening to someone tell me their story. The simple act of sitting and listening to someone is more powerful than giving them a full blown sermon. I have found that relationships are one of the most important things in life. And to have any sort of relationship with someone, you have to first build up trust. That’s what a lot of these past few weeks have been like, building that trust. And slowly by slowly, these kids are starting to tell me more bits and pieces that fit into their life story of who they are today.
I am so thankful for a God who meets us right where we are and promises new beginnings every morning. If I am being completely honest, some days are totally hard and not fun and full of blood, sweat, and tears. Some days I don’t want to go to work. And some days the unorganized schedule really gets to me. But when I bring the focus off of “me”, God hits me like a ton of bricks. Like today, when all the girls from the Primary 3, 4, and 5 classes put on a surprise performance for us, complete with dancing, singing, and handwritten notes saying “Auntie Kate, we love you so much. Thank you for painting our school. We love you for life.” The huge hugs and smiles on their faces did all the talking for them. It was one of those “ah-ha” moments where all the hardships of the week just fell away and made everything worth it.
Most weekends are spent with my best friend, Silvester. We often head to Watoto Suubi and visit his family and friends. We have visited one of our favorite little guys, Sam, in Suubi 2. He was just one year old when I worked in the babies home in 2012, now I can hardly believe he has grown into a big three year old boy full of adventure and laughter. Its so crazy that now when I talk to him, he understands and actually answers back. We watch movies with his sisters in Watoto house 121 and eat suppers with Jean and Maurice Bradley. We helped organize and officiate a soccer tournament one Saturday and watched as teams battled for the trophy. It was hard competition but a Watoto team won in the end.
Its been fun and interesting building our relationship and blending the different cultures together. There’s a few things I will tell you about Silvester to help you know him better.
1. He loves anything and everything to do with Marvel. More specifically the movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy…)
2. He has a huge heart for kids.
3. He loves mayonnaise with a passion. Elle now refers to him as “mayo head”
4. He is the funniest person I know. Never failing to make me laugh, I promise that you can’t be around him and not laugh.
5. He cares for people with his whole heart, never thinking twice about helping someone.
1. He loves anything and everything to do with Marvel. More specifically the movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy…)
2. He has a huge heart for kids.
3. He loves mayonnaise with a passion. Elle now refers to him as “mayo head”
4. He is the funniest person I know. Never failing to make me laugh, I promise that you can’t be around him and not laugh.
5. He cares for people with his whole heart, never thinking twice about helping someone.
I would also like to share the exciting news that he will be getting baptized this coming Sunday, November 9th, at Watoto Church West! We are so excited to see this happen.
Tomorrow I will be heading to Suubi once again. But this time I will be spending the day in the classroom with Jean learning and observing how to teach English to these kids. I am so excited as I don’t have really any idea how to teach English to someone who has grown up with a different native tongue. If you have any teaching ideas, please feel free to share with me!
Thank you all for your continual support and encouragement. I hope that these short paragraphs will give you at least a small glimpse into my life here. If you would like more, please feel free to come visit. Just tell your boda driver to bring you to Bulenga, Nakuwadde, Jacaranda and I will be standing there at the gate waiting for you
Joanne and sweet Jordan. I love these two together.
Friendship and Laughter: cures for any rainy day.
Silvester and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly.
