the long way home

we left around 6:30am to fly out of uganda and into london. it was a long bus ride followed by sad goodbyes to the beautiful country we had just inhabited for the past two weeks. our 8 hour flight wasn't too bad. i don't sleep on planes so i watched three movies and talked with some of my friends that were in other seats throughout the plane. nikkie and i made friends with the flight attendants and got lots of snacks. it was an overall not so bad flight, especially given the bitter-sweet circumstances. when we arrived to london at about 4pm local time, most of us went out to hit the town. we bought passes to get around on the tube for the day and found an italian restaurant to have dinner at. after dinner, the canadians had a play to see so the other 6 of us walked around to do some sight seeing. it was really cold and none of us had proper london clothes on so we stuck out more there than we did in africa. the sandals were a huge give away. we saw a lot of cool things and quite frankly, i was only half interested because i was cold and not in vacation mode at all. i was sad that i wasn't in uganda or at home because i hate being at the inbetween places on trips. by the end of the night, we were exhausted and ready to go back to our yotel. yes yotel. not a typo. it's this little hotel type thing in terminal 4 at the heathrow airport where you can sleep and shower. it's a tiny room but felt great to be in after a long day and a long trip. unfortunately, we had some issues with the tube timing and bis situation so we didn't get back until about 1:30am local time. we quickly went to sleep and woke up bright and early to be checked out of our rooms by 7am. since we all had to be out of our rooms and our flight wasn't until 12pm, we decided to have breakfast and spend as much time together before we all had to go our separate ways for our separate flights back home. it was a nice morning of talking and kind of in our own way, debriefing and saying goodbye so that when we actually had to leave, we just did quick hugs and goodbyes. i can't wait to see all of these wonderful friends again and it's sad that everyone is all over the place. now for the 11 hour flight. uhh worst flight ever. first, i had a rude french lady in my seat that wouldn't move. then i switched seats again for another older lady so i could sit by sarah and nikkie. poor laura was stuck in the middle of another row with a kicking kid behind her. i was excited to be next to sarah who also doesn't sleep on planes and we watched two movies together. the food was awful as usual though and all of us felt kind of sick coming home and by the time we landed, none of us were doing that great. from there, it took like 2 hours to get through customs, get our bags, and leave just in time to hit traffic on the way home. our flight landed about 3:45pm and i got home around 7pm just wanted to chunda and sleep. it was great being home and seeing the love of my life, fil, and my family but i didn't feel well enough to do much so i laid there and dozed off from time to time until it was late enough to go to bed for reals. this week has been rough. i got home wednesday, had work thursday-saturday, and student ministries and father's day sunday. i've been trying to get laundry done and my life organized ever since i got back and it really hasn't made much progress. monday is my only day off i think for the next few weeks at least so i'm gonna sleep in and get everything in order so i can regain my bearings. phew. what a week.

the last day...

we had a medical clinic planned for our last day but had to switch the location last minute because the place we were supposed to go to had a medical clinic there just a week ago. the place we ended up at was a private school called liberty educational center in northern bwaise. there were a bunch of really excited children that were all over us when we got there. it was the perfect way to end the trip. so much love that we were feeling and shown throughout our whole time here demonstrated in such a tangible way. we passed out deworming tablets for all the students and then opened up the clinic which we had about 500 people come through. I worked in the pharmacy again and it was busy but pretty fun to do. the clinic and the kids kept us occupied for the day so we didn't have too much down time to think about leaving this beautiful country. this trip has been great and I'm excited for the next one. missy deemed me her little australian, the canadians called me their half canadian friend and I gained some american brothers and sisters. I can't wait until the next trip and now I have a list of places to visit because I have friends in texas, tennessee, canada, australia, louisiana, ohio, different parts of california and of course, here in uganda. late night early morning to head to london!

gbye kids

a usual sunday here. church, lunch, and time with the kids. the message was a continuation of a series from last week and was titled beauty to ashes. loved it. that church and everything about it was so on fire and I really enjoyed it both weeks. after lunch we got to hang out with the kids at the new creation home and we celebrated bena's birthday. some of the kids, mamas, and team learned how to make and roll out tortillas from scratch and so we spent a good amount in the kitchen doing that and making cakes and popcorn. they sang for us and then we did our time of worship and devotions and then had some birthday fun before wrapping up the night and sadly saying goodbye to the kids one final time. good thing we have a busy day tomorrow so we can keep our minds off of this leaving business.

wah toe toe

ahh another day is over and we're leaving way too soon! today we went to see the land that sherry and ken bought so that they can expand on what they already have established here. the land, named graceland, was purchased a year ago and is beautiful. it is nine acres of land up a little bit higher and farther from where we are currently at but the intention is to build a bigger children's home, guest house, school, church, and medical clinic or as we called it, sherryville. its so awesome to see this ministry thriving and trying to reach as many people as possible. today, when we went to the graceland with our 18 kids, we got to pass out sandals, clothes, sweeties, biscuits, and prizes to the surrounding neighborhood kids. our kids helped out and prayed for the kids and people they were serving. so incredible I have no words. we also climbed mango trees and ate some fresh fruits off the trees we were in. so fun. after that we went back to the African market to shop and hang out for about an hour before church started. we went to watoto church which apparently is a huge well known church started in Uganda that most people have heard of except for me. story of my life. the worship was amazing with a full band and choir but the message was very directed at the congregation and about their push for miracle giving so we all felt out of place. it was crazy to step into a huge, wealthy church in the middle of a country living in such poverty. the pastor that started the church preached and it was different than the teaching we're all used to. it's hard stepping into a church for the first time but I felt out of place and i'm missing my church back home! that was it for today. two days left =[

ohh fansidor...

so this is the latest I've stayed up this whole trip. today, we held a medical clinic at a school with almost 1600 kids. some of the team went around to the classrooms to pass out deworming tablets and other treats and prizes. a lot of kids welcomed them in the usual gracious and appreciative manner. we set up for the clinic and it went pretty slow compared to others. there were less people and those who did come through were typically school kids with colds or something minor. I worked in pharmacy today so I learned how to fill prescriptions ordered by the doctors. it was something different and fun to do and the other pharm people and I were passing the time just fine. we have a lot of people to take vitals so for our last clinic on Monday, I'm going to be back in the pharmacy with the craziness of backed up orders, pill cutting, dosage regulation, and all the other duties associated. it was a short day it felt like which is probably why we had the energy to make popcorn and watch movies tonight. now it's time to sleep. there are a few people leaving early from our team; one tomorrow, one Sunday, and one Monday so we have a bunch of girls piled in our little party house right now asleep. time for the last of us to join. goodnight!

let people go, free free ya ya ya

this morning started a little earlier than usual because we had a two hour bus ride to get to the nile river. there we took a boat around the nile and then came back to shore to do some baptisms. we had two girls on our team that wanted to be baptized but apparently, ken had met some guys while we were out on the boats and through conversion with them, learned that they wanted to be baptized too. two of them were born again Christians who had not yet been baptized and the other was a Muslim who decided to accept Jesus as his saviour because of the stories and testimonies he had heard. it was really neat to be apart of. we left the nile unsure of what our next stop would be but we ended up seeing the church that sherry's parents had built back in the 70s and then we to another babies home. this home was much different. it was beautiful, well kept, and there were lots of staff around to take care of all the kids ranging from 6 weeks to 5 years old. more mzungus like us and some ugandan mamas. very different from the other home we saw. all the kids were healthy and happy and after doing a quick tour with one of the ladies that has been there for three years, we learned that some of the babies were abandoned but a lot of them were just given up by a single parent or family member who was unable to care for the child at that time. there was a memory wall of all the kids that were in the home, had been adopted, had been reunited with their family, and unfortunately, a spot for those who had died. it felt a lot more personal and with in our realm of comfort on how we thought children should be treated. it was a great way to the end day before another two hour bus ride. most people slept but I've had the opportunity to have some really great conversations with people and I'm loving getting to know this team. bus rides are great times to chat =]

true Africa

today we went to the school again for the last time this trip and sat through two hours of dancing, singing, skits, poems, and short testimonies. the kids get so into their programs that even after the hour of allotted time for music is up, they still don't get up to play with us. we enjoyed watching them but we had limited interaction. a few of us picked up cards this morning to sponsor certain kids in the school or home and it was neat to tell them that we would be paying for their schooling. after that we went to mengo hospital to visit the pediatric ward. we passed out sweets, biscuits, toys, dolls, and other little things to the pre-op, post-op, and traction patients. a few of us were able to go in the burn unit where men, women, and children had severe burns all over their bodies. some had their faces completely burned off and others were wrapped up all over. it was heartening to see their pain but also to see where they had to endure it. this "hospital" was one open room for each ward with dirty beds, dirty floors, open windows, flies, and all kinda of unclean and unsanitary conditions. people with severe burns had open flesh wounds full of infection without any defense against it. we got to pray for a lot of people and hold hands and stroke arms or whatever unburned skin was available for these outcasts patients to feel human interaction. a few of us ran up to the labour and delivery ward to do a quick tour of the pregnant ladies, newborns, and those waiting. the whole hospital was so different from anything I've ever seen. wow. after a heavy afternoon, we got to enjoy a fun multicultural evening full of traditional African dancing and food. it was so neat to watch and the food was excellent. at the end of the night they invited us to come dance with them and a bunch of us had fun trying to shake it like they do. now it's time to get some sleep for an early morning tomorrow!

prayer in the heart of africa

today we went to a handicapped home with over 100 mentally and physically disabled kids and young adults. we walked around and talked with some of them and then everyone grouped together so we could sing, share testimonies, and pray together. I'm starting to feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over again but it was incredible. this must be a country of passion because every thing that I've seen be done has been full of passion and sincerity. we sang a few songs that the kids all know and love and the smiles on their faces were priceless. I sat by a few that kept looking at me excitedly and held my hand and hugged me and were just so precious in every way. after our time together, they went back to class and we headed over to prayer mountain. it was more of like one of those mountain hill areas that you can hike or whatnot but it had people praising and worshiping our Lord. people praying and singing, on their knees, on their faces, walking and yelling all for Jesus Christ. it was amazing to see them, see the view over the city, and to just hang out with God for a few hours. when we were leaving we saw monkeys and fed them some bananas. cute little guys. it was a slower paced day but I think everyone's week is starting to catch up to them because we're still all tired. one more week left and more great things to come.

girls day... shopping and babies

so yesterday I wasn't able to update the blog because currently I'm fighting a cold so I wasn't feeling too great by the end of the day and went straight to bed. for someone who hardly gets sick, I sure picked a great time this year. yesterday, we were given the morning to rest and relax here at the house. a lot of people did laundry, read, wrote, talked, or just took it slow to regroup and process the past week. in the afternoon, we went into town to do a little shopping at the African markets. really neat stuff and I wanted to buy one of everything. fortunately they only take shillings so I didn't go too crazy. after we bought some souvenirs, we went to sanyu babies home where 48 kids ages 0-4 live. these kids were abandoned by their families and now must live fighting for attention and affection. there's only 24 of us on the team so it was impossible to please all of these kids. it's heartbraking seeing kids cling on to you, call you mama, hog attention and cry when you try to put them down or pick up a second. all of them just need love and with only a few staff members, how could that ever be possible? they had towels for diapers or nothin at all and were on a strict schedule for feeding and changing. there were several autistic children that I fell in love with. one boy, Watson, stuck by me for most of the day. he called me mama and was playing with whatever was around. this whole trip has been about moments of joy through the heart wrenching experiences and this was a very extreme example of that. when we had to leave I almost thought it would have been better if we never went. seeing them have to be left behind by new faces just made me wish that someone would come and stay. someone would take one home. someone would love them. a few of our teammates went to the hospital for the day because as we've been doing medical clinics, we've been finding some critically ill that we've felt the need to take to the hospital. we had one boy with cancer, another girl with a cyst on her forehead that was not properly drained before so now needing surgery so she can regain vision. another little 3 week year old baby with no rectum and a hole in his side where his intestines would dump out. the clinics have been really neat but also very sad to see. so many sick and unable to get treatment or any kind of help. it's amazing to see the love and willingness of our team to help any and all that they can. God's characteristics are shining through this team and it's so neat to be apart of.

sunday funday

this morning we got to go to victory city church and partake in an amazing church experience. we got there on boda-bodas which is their version of a motorcycle taxi. so fun. the church was larger than I expected and so animated. there were many people on stage for worship and even though it was similar to our worship back home, I felt like it was more free and open for everyone to cry out to God in their own unique way. the service was packed and everyone was so into the worship. the music lasted longer than normal and I felt a strong connection between our community and with our God. the pastor was a missionary from san diego but living here in Africa. he was loud, bold, and strong in spirit. he spoke of breaking out of bondage and turning our sorrow into ecstasy, that God is a God of miracles, and nothing is impossible for Him. the whole service was beyond amazing and something that I think everyone needed, African and Americans. after church we went out to lunch to a place called good African coffee. they did have really good coffee. unfortunately, I think it's not called good African food for a reason... we all felt a little sick after but luckily, nothing too bad. after lunch, we went to the children's home to hang out and get to know the kids a little better. they love hanging out with their aunties and uncles and we all had a really good time. it's funny how some of the kids kind of pair off with us. sharon calls me her best auntie and writes me notes and sticks by my side. she's 12 and so precious. I love that she chose me. we made a necklace together and then she tied it around my neck. my heart melts over that kind of stuff. all the kids are great and I wish we got to spend more time with them. I can't believe it's already been a week!

short and sweet

today we held another medical clinic. it was the largest one yet to date and there was nearly 1000 patients that came through. need I say more? we're popped once again and I'm hoping to get a little more sleep tonight for these big days so that's all for now. goodnight

Your perfect love is casting out fear

so normally I dream a lot back home. it's more unusual for me not to dream, which is how this trip has been. last night, I went to bed late like usual and everyone was asleep when I got to my room. I layed down and probably fell asleep around midnight. at 440am I woke up. also normal. I usually wake up in the middle of the night back home and here it's been a few times a night until I get up around 630am. I was a little relieved that I made it almost to 5 without waking up but felt pretty awake. I thought I was still awake when I woke up an hour later screaming. my subconscious had slipped back into a dream like state and I remember seeing a car driving reckless up a mountain. I was in the car that was following them and police on the side of the road were desperately trying to stop this man. a few turns later and he had crashed into the mountain. lucky for them they didn't just speed off the side of the mountain, I said. we went to the car to see what happened. there was a woman in the car as well. while we tried to uncover the things in the car to figure out what had drove this man mad, the lady spoke to me and said, I know what it was. and I felt a fear and heaviness come over me. i remember not wanting to look at the woman's face because she was possessed by a demon so I refrained from looking. she grabbed me by the throat and started choking me. I couldn't even let out a scream but I woke up screaming, crying, and trying my hardest to get air in my lungs. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't move. I tried crying out to Jesus but couldn't get a word out. it was 545 and I was awake and not alone. I sat up breathing harder as tears streamed down my cheeks. one of my roommates woke up. she sat with me, comforting me with prayer and scripture and then got one of our other roommates to join us. we prayed and sang and talked and I slowly felt relief come over me. I've never experienced a demonic dream but it's so real. Im feeling sick with a sore throat and headache now so please pray for health and healing. this all happened during the Muslim chanting and it's very clear that the devil has a foothold here. there's witchcraft and voodoo and separation from God in this place. we are spreading the love of Jesus though and the devil knows it. but if our God is for us, who can be against us?

joy part two

today was major for us. what I shared below seemed like it was over the span of a week but actually, it was only two hours. then we were off to the next life changing experience at eagle's nest secondary school. the kids, about high school aged, were having an assembly and one of our team members, pastor gary, was planning on giving a sermon. the classes let out and hundreds of kids came to sit down in a big open seating space with us. they started out with welcoming us and introducing themselves and then moved into singing praise songs, pledging to their flags, and singing their national anthem. our team of Americans and Canadians were invited to the stage and then we were asked to sing our national anthem. since there's only three Canadians on our team, I joined them to sing oh Canada. ya mom, all those times singing it at you really paid off haha. then the rest of us sang our anthem and then started singing another song that apparently I don't know so I went back to being Canadian again so I could stand off to the some. we sat down and listened to other anthems since there were students from Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Somalia, and other parts of Africa. some students sang beautiful solos and then we moved on to awards and finally the message. this is a Christian school but not all the students were saved or even of Christian religion. gary's call for their salvation seemed to be coming through to them. after the message, the whole team went to the front to pray with any of the kids who needed or wanted it. we all had a bunch of kids come up to us with all kinds of requests. several were saved, many at least were seeking for Jesus or some kind of love and acceptance. a lot asked for prayer for schooling or future plans and careers. some asked for forgiveness and to overcome temptation. so many vulnerable and honest students came to us just asking to be prayed for and that's something eternal we have impacted their lives with. one girl cried after I prayed for her which made me cry. again. we were all pretty choked up and emotional. after most had been prayed for and left, we hung out with the few that were still around. I joined in with two kids that were dancing and picked up each of their steps as they went. others kicked a soccer ball around and some continued to pray. we were there for almost four hours and had no words for what had happened. it's hard to process a big day like this and even writing it out seemed daunting. so incredible. good thing this trip is so well documented with film footage and pictures because words could never do it justice.

but joy comes in the morning

today was incredible beyond words. i'm not sure how i can even begin to write about today but I have never been so moved. there was a lot of crying and even more praying. we had plans to visit the only known elderly home where the older people who have no one to take care of them live. its rare for ugandans to live past their 50s and the only reason for family to not take care of their elders themselves would be if there was no one left living to take care of them. this home is also where handicapped people of all ages will get dropped off. what we encountered could not possibly have been prepared for. there is a annual pilgrimage currently underway for the Christians who were burned alive here in Uganda back in the 1800s. people from all over Africa travel by foot to visit this martyr's shrine once a year. hundreds of people were staying at the elderly home outside to rest until they continued the rest of the way. we were expecting to hang out with some old folks, pass out some goodies, and then pack up and go but we ended up staying longer than intended and being moved beyond what we thought possible. the people actually staying at the home ranged from old and healthy to young and handicapped. there were a few that were severely mentally and physically handicapped who appeared to be suffering from diseases like cerebral polesy. one girl named doris was laying on a mattress on the floor on her stomach unable to move much. sherry knew her and showed us how she liked to sing. she started, "baby Jesus, baby Jesus" and doris joined in with her, "I love you, I love you. you are my saviour, you are my saviour. everyday, everyday." by the end of the song, all of us around her were crying. how beautiful for this girl who can barely move and speak to be singing her love for Jesus. I couldn't even process it, all I could do was cry. after sherry walked away, I sat down with doris and told her she was beautiful and just stroked her arm. how precious. I have such a soft spot for the disabled. guess God knew what he was doing when he called me to the medical field. after that I walked around and visited some others a lot of them were blind so I came over and held their hands, prayed wit them, passed out whatever I had, and then kept going. some talked with me, like the man who was paralyzed from the neck down but painted with host mouth. some didn't say much but one man in particular really stood out to me. he was this little old man quietly sitting in him chair. he had a girl with him who was watching over him. I said hello and noticed he was blind so I grabbed his hand to shake, hold, whatever he wanted. he was still quiet but was shaking my hand and saying things in his language that I didn't understand. after a minute or so I was goin to leave but first, I handed him a gift. now this may seem like it was something fancy or spectacular when I tell you how he reacted but it wasn't. let me tell you, that man flew up from his chair and started shuffling in little circles, stomping, and yelling his thanks. I've never seen someone so excited and grateful for anything. ready for what I gave him? a canvas bag. a small, flat, st patrick's school canvas bag for him to keep. how excited should we all be for the things we're blessed with? he lit up and even the girl was excited to see him so excited and starting translating for me so I could understand what he was saying. wow. ok and there were so many other people that we got to pray for and talk to and just touch spiritually and physically, as simple as holding a hand in need. and then there were tons of others outside! we talked and prayed with others on the pilgrimage and played with the kids. we painted finger and toe nails, girls and boys. we had an unreal experience that was overwhelming and divine. now, on to the second part of the day.