Gulu and other thoughts

I know I said that I would post the following day, but things have been busy, and we didn't have internet for a few days.  It is another interesting thing about being here, the fact that I get internet at all is amazing!  The village is set up on a solar system, and we have had so much rain lately that things weren't charging.  It really makes you appreciate the sun, and the ability to communicate a world away.  I still can't believe that I'm in Africa!  It feels like I am at camp, just a couple hours from home.  Although, when it rains here if POURS and is still warm!  I must admit, I am becoming weak, I wear a sweatshirt when it is only in the 70's.  I don't know how I'm going to make it back home!

Life has been good!  I like the feeling of being productive!  This week I have been able to work on beads, doing quality control, we also had a holiday on Wednesday so I got to spend the day hanging out and playing with the kids.  We even had soda and a movie at night!  It was really fun.  Those are the things you can't take pictures of, so you just have to keep them as a memory.

The Hawaii team left yesterday, so we have been getting the Taj-ma-hut ready for Cindy's arrival today.  Mike and Janelle just left to pick Cindy and Janet up, and we are all looking forward to seeing her!  Please pray for her time here, that she stays healthy, and there are no complications.  Cindy had a brain tumor removed earlier this year, so please pray for her time here.  It is short, and there is a lot to be done, but it is going to be great for her to be able to see and visit with the kids.

Now for my Gulu story.

I started this blog to talk about my journey here.  The ups and the downs.  The things I am excited or proud about, and the things that I am not proud of.  This is one of those posts.

I joined the Hawaii team in a trip to Gulu.  The purpose of the trip was to visit the Bobi village, and to hand out food bags to kids that the village supports.  We went to Bobi first and got to see the work they are doing on that facility.  It was great!  Incredible to see!  Eventually, it looks like Bobi will be the primary school and the Village that I'm at right now will become the secondary school.  They have an incredible crew working in Bobi and are trying to get it ready to open at the beginning of the year.  The school year here starts in January.  Genius!  After the tour, and hanging out at the compound, we packed beans, rice, and posho.  It was a fun way to have everyone working together!  Pairing up in to teams, counting in Acoli, and laughing as we "turned white" from the Posho!

After packing the food, the truck went ahead to the delivery area, and we stopped in to greet the moms of the Tabitha project.  That was a really neat experience, because I have ended up working with a bunch of their stuff.  They made the crosses that I was looking over and taking inventory of.  It was exciting to see their names and know their faces!  For more information on the Tabitha project go to villageofhopeuganda.com it's an incredible ministry!

After the Tabitha Project, we headed over to one of the IDP camps to hand out the food we had packed.  This is where I had the hard time.

We arrived and the kids sang a few songs for us.  It was really neat.  We passed out food and then visited with the kids.  A lot of these kids, from what I understand, are the caretakers of their families.  They are so young, with great responsibility.

It was so neat to pass out food, that I started taking pictures.  This is really where I became ashamed.  I realized that I was taking pictures of these kids who are trying to provide for their families, and I was using it more as a photo op than a ministry.  After we handed out the food I tried to visit with the kids, but no one would really talk to me.  I can't help but think it's because I put them down.  I was so concerned about the pictures that would look so great to show people, that I put that above their lives.  It made me sad to realize that.  I almost deleted all of the pictures, but I decided that those pictures are a part of my story, and part of my growing process, so I will keep them.  But from here on out...people first, pictures last.

On the way home our van broke down, making us all pile into a small car to get home.  I call that team bonding!  I'm pretty sure that I was the only one who enjoyed that part of the journey.  Everything is an adventure!

All in all it was a good day, but it was not my favorite by any means.  I did learn, and I did grow, and so not all is lost.

To end on a good note, I did see the Nile River for the first time!

Here are some pictures.  Some I am proud of, and some I am not, but that's the way life goes.

The Nile River

Monkeys on the side of the road

Sesame Seeds

Working at finishing one of the homes

Filling bags of rice, beans, and posho

Davinci, the son of Monica, one of the woman from the Tabitha project

The children singing to us

Handing out food.  Just looking at this picture makes my heart hurt.

The sunset on the drive home.  Reminder that tomorrow is a new day.  I am a changed person.  I am forgiven, loved, and am a new creation.  There is hope for tomorrow!