I have kept a journal for nearly twelve years. For as long as I can remember, I've been writing down my thoughts and feelings and questions, whether they are "I hate guys" or "I hate my sister," a pen and paper have always been the dearest friends to me. So when my mother suggested that I buy a new journal to take to Uganda with me in the summer of 2011, I wondered why I hadn't thought of it myself.
A friend bought a nice journal and pen and gave them to me. I tried to write every night that I was in Uganda, but exhaustion and emotion overtook me after eight days and I didn't finish the journey out completely. But tonight, I found the journal and read it for the first time since writing it. I have never revisited these places in such detail, and I want to share them with all of you.
June 18, 2011 - Uganda, Day Two
I don't even know how to begin. We arrived in Entebbe, Uganda around 9 a.m. yesterday (Friday) morning and drove to Kampala. The drive was amazing. The #1 rule of driving in Kampala: If you have position, you have the right-of-way, meaning that if someone shoves their way in front of you, you have to let them go. It's nerve-wracking and hilarious at the same time. There are "boda-bodas" everywhere! They are motorcycles (usually taxis) that weave in and out of all the cars, with only inches of space between them. It's nuts.
Our hotel is really nice. No a/c, but I've been entirely too exhausted to notice. I slept twelve hours last night!
After we got in yesterday, we ate lunch at the mall. That's quite an experience! You sit down in the food court and all these waiters come out and give you menus from all the different places to eat. They compete for your business. It's so much fun! Then we bought cell phones and muck boots (all the necessities) before going out to Kimombasa (pronounced "CHI-mom-bah-sah" in Luganda).
There we split up into teams and I went with Johnny Spicer, Shelby Guin, and our translator and minister, Vincent. Vincent is absolutely amazing, with the Ugandan people, with me, everything. He's also hilarious. So we went from family to family, telling them about Jesus. Several were saved! It was incredible.
I met a little girl named Rachel and a 13-year-old named Tabitha, who asked me to pray that God would give her wisdom. WISDOM. She has absolutely nothing, and she asked for wisdom. Humbled to have even met her, I prayed that God would bless her as He did Solomon. I'll never forget her.
Then we went back to the hotel, had dinner, and I CRASHED. I went to bed at 7:45 p.m. and woke up at 8:15 the next morning. Over twelve hours. I was exhausted to say the least!
This morning we went to Sabina, a slum just across the street from our hotel. We did Manna distributions (Manna is a six-month program for some of the poorest families in these slums. During those months, they don't have to buy any food and can use their money to invest in things to better their lives. One woman invested in a wheel-barrow, and started a business by renting it out. Now she owns several and makes enough money to support her family and send her children to school. THIS is what James was talking about in 2:14-17, "14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.")
We went into one house where a woman named Olivia lived. She has three kids and is married. With the money she saves by not buying food, she sends her brother to school (inevitably changing his life). In Sabina, their homes are completely flooded when it rains because they live downhill. It's poured twice since we've been here. It's devastating to see, but Olivia has solid faith in God and I was very humbled by it. Her baby has an ear infection and is coughing a lot, but thankfully she has medicine for him.
After visiting a few more families, we went back to the vans to find a swarm (or a MOB) of kids. Older children would walk up and just hand a baby to me. I have tons of pictures. One little girl stayed with me for at least an hour. Her name is Sophia and she was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Her teeth were perfect and her laugh was infectious. She liked to repeat everything I said :)
After that, we ate lunch at the mall again and then split up half-and-half to go to house churches. Adam and I had the opportunity to give our testimonies and we all sang "Amazing Grace." Then Taylor, Tucker, Adam, and I went with Vincent to do a children's church. I told the story of David and Goliath, Tucker told about Daniel in the lions' den, and Adam told about Noah and also about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And we sang SO MUCH! They were sweet. I met a 12-year-old girl named Narosa, who spoke English very well because she can afford to go to school. She told Taylor and I that we are both "very beautiful." She was beautiful, and so sweet for interpreting what some of the kids were saying to me.
When we were starting to leave, we bought jewelry from a lady at the church service. After I paid, I said, "Webale," which is "thank you" in Luganda. She took my hand and said, "You're very welcome. My name is Rachel, what's yours?" After I told her mine was the same, she laughed and hugged me so tightly that I almost lost my balance and fell on top of her! Such joy. She was such a sweet lady.
I got to talk to my parents tonight. I'm drained and thankful. Thank you, Jesus.
-Rachel
The blessings and lessons I experienced that day are flooding back to me again.
