Life In Uganda

Every morning when I wake up I think about the same thing, and it doesn’t matter if I’m waking up in my bed in Kampala or in my tent in the village, Zirobwe, I wake up in awe of my God and what He is doing here in Uganda. I’ve been here more than a month now and still have trouble believing that He brought me here, that I have the chance to be a very small part of His great plan for this beautiful country. And I love that each day is new, full of opportunities and moments that declare His greatness and love.

                I could start off by telling you everything that I love about Uganda or about everything that I don’t like, but both lists would be too long. Uganda isn’t hard to love; it’s a gorgeous place where every morning and evening the sky comes to life in a stunning masterpiece, with the rising or setting of the sun. The weather is usually beautiful and sunny with a rainstorm thrown in every couple of days, which keeps everything green and lush. There is the strong contrast between the red dirt roads and the deep green of everything that grows. Car rides (which are often and long) are always a perfect opportunity to take in the lovey scenery and to marvel at God’s creation. It’s a place full of life. Yet it’s also a place that requires hard work and struggle to survive. So amidst all the beauty, pain is evident. Maybe this is why I love it here so much. It’s raw. It’s full of real life and hard truths, but it’s also bursting at the seams with hope. Just living is a challenge for many, but gives the people here a deeper understanding and value of life. I don’t believe that life is meant to be easy or that it’s about the striving for happiness, we weren’t promised either, instead life is about fighting through all the pain and struggles and finding pure joy and love from the growth and relationships that we receive.

                Since I am working with Empower A Child I have the ability to be involved with many different projects and ministries here in Kampala. And while I’m in the city I spend my time going to babies’ homes, orphanages, churches, schools, a children’s hospital, the neighborhood kids, doing programs with the children and often helping with any work that needs to be done. Our programs usually consist of an introduction, praise and worship, a skit and story, questions and sweets, games and playtime. And the work we might help with could be anything from; washing, hanging or inking clothes to washing or painting windows, to washing, changing, or making beds, or even sweeping trash and cleaning mattresses. It all really just depends on what needs to be done. For instance Sanyu’s babies’ home is one of the places where we do the most work, because there is always plenty there.

            

    My favorite part of the week is always going to the village, Zirobwe. There are many reasons why I love this place so much, largely because of all people and children there but it’s more than that. When I’m in Kampala, after a long days’ work I can come home take a shower (possibly hot), read or skype, go to Tuskys (our store here) if I need something, and sleep in my soft warm bed under my mosquito net. It’s really a life full of luxuries. Yet when I’m in the village I don’t have any of that.  My day consists of much harder work; it’s full of manual labor and is mentally exhausting as well. When you are surrounded by so much need and always giving of yourself, loving and serving, I find that the Lord’s strength is all that gets me through that day. At the end of the day you often go to bed sunburnt with blisters, bruises, and bug bites, always sore and thoroughly worn-out but so full of joy and peace. See when I’m in the village I’m living within that community and working and going through life with them, and that makes it so fulfilling. I don’t care that I wear the same clothes every day, that I go to bed filthy, and I even enjoy fighting just to make it through the day because then I know that I’ve gone beyond my strength alone and relied solely on God. It means that I can rest assured that I gave everything that I had and I can sleep peacefully. See I’m never worried about tomorrow because I know each morning I’ll wake with the sun, ready for a new day.