week 3

“You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” Isaiah 26:3

It has been a week of ups and downs. Reality started to set in last weekend; I am really in Africa for four months. Thankfully, I was not the only one who experienced this. Having a group of 22 girls here who are feeling all the same things as me is a gift.

Sundays are good days because we have milk tea. This also means Mama forces me to eat at least 2 pieces of bread, but I guess I can’t feel bad about it since I have no choice. A 13-year-old girl named Daphne came to stay with us because Liz will be going to school soon and Mama needs someone to help around the house.

Monday was pretty busy with classes, but my avocado smoothie made it a good day.

Tuesday was a long but great day. I had my internship at ACHERU from 9-3 and it was awesome. I got to stand next to the nurse (and got to wear a cute little nurse dress) as she dressed the children’s wounds. Some of the stuff was pretty serious and nasty so I’m glad I have a strong stomach. The hard part was hearing the kids scream and cry in pain. I had to keep telling myself, “You can’t be a nurse if you cry every time a child cries.” Nurse Betty said next week I’ll get to dress wounds on my own! I love my time at ACHERU not just because of the adorable kids, but because I get to go with Kenedy and Emilie, two amazing friends I’ve made. We got back to UCU in time for my New Testament class from 4-6. Kenedy, Ella, and I sat in the middle of the classroom and were the only mzungus (as usual). The professor had fun making jokes about our white-American-ness. He’s great. I went home a little after 6 and Mama was down at the neighbor’s house making food for a graduation party. Daphne walked me to the party and I was served a heaping plate of all the Ugandan staple foods (matoke, rice, beans, millet, Irish (what they call potatoes), sweet potatoes, beef, etc.). A graduation party in Uganda is very different from what we have in the States. For one, graduation from college is a much bigger deal. It is much harder to get into universities here, so a degree is not taken for granted like it sometimes is in America. The party wasn’t like ours where you make an appearance, say congratulations, get a little plate of food, and leave. There were rows of plastic chairs and everyone sat facing the porch, where Pride (the graduate) sat at a table with his parents. Many family members – and I mean many – took turns standing at the front and giving speeches about Pride. It amazed me how many people were so involved in his life. Everyone there seemed to be an aunt or uncle in some way. One of the men that spoke said “A man is raised by the entire village. It is a collective effort.” Here in Mukono, that is so true. Everyone does everything for each other and generosity is not often acknowledged because it is so ordinary. While different people were giving speeches, I noticed that there really isn’t such a thing as an “elephant in the room” for Ugandans. Nothing was held back or pushed under the rug, whether it was the death of Pride’s father, his mother’s inability to raise him on her own (she had to give him to her brother), or Pride’s stutter when he speaks. In the same way, Ugandans call out what they see and don’t worry about offending anyone. When describing someone, a Ugandan might refer to him or her as “the fat one.” People are so much more open about everything.

Wednesday was another good day. I had class at 8:30 with about 7 other USP girls. Micah, one of the USP staff members and the teacher of the course, brought a surprise for us. He had a barista from one of the on-campus restaurants come into the classroom with his espresso machine and make us all lattes. I cried when I smelled coffee beans and we were all laughing so hard. I went home in the evening and sat outside with Mama and her daughter Jennifer while they prepared dinner. I peeled two matoke and cut the watermelon. We talked about politics for a little bit and I found out that abortion is a crime in Uganda. I wish. It started pouring right before dinner, and it was extremely loud on our tin roof.

I was really tired on Thursday and it was cloudy, so I wasn’t in the best mood. I also made a cultural mistake in the morning, which kind of set me off track for the day. I went into a building at UCU to try to get a book, and being the rude American that I am, went straight up to a woman working and asked about how I could get the book I needed. She looked at me and firmly said “good morning” and walked away as a man came to assist me. In Uganda, you always greet someone and make small talk before asking for help. I left the building feeling slightly defeated by my lack of cultural awareness, not to mention how intimidating Ugandan women can be.

Friday was a sad day. I got to school in the morning and checked my Facebook and email as usual, and got the news that my good friend’s father had passed away of a heart attack. It was such sad news, and the fact that I’m on the other side of the world and can’t be there with her is really hard for me. Thankfully, Rachel (the program director) told me I didn’t have to go to my 8:30 class, so I went down to Taste of Class and got coffee with Prudence, one of the program assistants. It was really good to be able to sit and talk to her about everything that I was trying to process. After that I went to tea in the dining hall to keep myself busy/with people. Then Emilie, Kenedy, Kennedy, and I went up to the playground with fruit and rolex (sort of like an omelette/breakfast burrito). We sat eating and talking and then laid in the sun for a while. I left UCU in the evening and got my broken sandal fixed by a man who sits outside the gate all day fixing shoes. It only cost me 1,000, which is like 20 cents. Daphne made dinner because Mama was gone preparing for her Saturday catering gig.

I woke up yesterday around 8 to Mama saying “You’re awake Anna! You are ever awake early.” We had milk tea, popcorn, baby bananas, and bread with jam for breakfast. Mama had to leave right after to go to the graduation party and get the food ready. For most of the morning I relaxed and enjoyed the sunny day. I was laying on a mat in the yard, and one of the ladies who was hanging laundry asked me if I was okay. She couldn’t see how lying in the hot sun could be enjoyable. Daphne and I went to the party around 12:30. It was really hot and really boring for the first few hours. Not only was it Catholic mass, but it was all in Luganda so I couldn’t understand a word. Miraculously, I made it through the first few hours and finally got to eat around 4. It was delicious and I ate too much. One of the funniest parts of the whole day was when they played country music – and loved it. After lunch/dinner we had to keep sitting and listening to people, but my belly was full and I was in a better mood. I started making paper cranes out of napkins and the ladies around me thought they were the coolest things. I taught the lady next to me how to make one and the little girl behind kept asking me for them. We stayed for a couple more hours and watched people dance and give more speeches. There were so many women in big bright dresses.

Daphne and I went to church at 8 this morning and we’re about to head home from UCU. I am continuing to lean into God’s ever present love as I do this semester in Africa. There are so many uncertainties in this life, and this past week has definitely shown that. Thank you all for your prayers and love.

 

week 2

My week started off with an 8 a.m. church service. Ugandans are much better at getting to church than Americans, so we were stuffed into the pews shoulder to shoulder (some people even had to pull up extra chairs next to the pews). The service was in English and wasn’t 5 hours long as I had been told it might be. When we got home lunch was just getting started, so I knew I’d probably be late to UCU. I had told Mama I was supposed to be at the school at 2, so naturally we sat down to eat at 2. After lunch I met up with the group and we went on a Mukono scavenger hunt to get to know the city. I got a huge piece of papaya for 500 shillings (about 15 cents). Mukono is crazy and chaotic but so fun and alive.

I had my first class, Faith & Action, on Monday. A few other classes started this week, but some of them don’t start until next week. Classes are going to be a lot of work, but they will definitely be manageable since I don’t have as many distractions (thank you, Ryan, for telling me to leave my phone at home).

Tuesday was market day, one of the most hectic things I’ve ever experienced. Every other Tuesday the street gets closed off and hundreds of vendors set up their clothes (like dresses for the equivalent of 3 dollars), shoes, toys, electronics, whatever you can think of. A couple people came up to us wanting us to buy the chickens they were holding upside down. There was hardly room to walk and I almost got nailed in the head by men carrying wide loads on their shoulders, but it was awesome. On my way home I stopped in a shop and asked about a dress that I had been admiring every day on my walk to and from school. The woman had me try it on and I got to watch her sew it to fit me perfectly. I got a handmade African dress for 30,000 shillings (like $10). When I got home in the evening Liz and I went for a walk down to the well in the woods, which is basically a big hole with water trickling out of the rocks. There were a few kids down the filling their jerrycans. We walked back to the house and all the neighborhood kids had gathered around. They stayed in our front yard rolling in the grass and showing off their cartwheels. One boy named Wisdom (4) asks about me during the day when I’m gone and follows me around when I get home. It’s funny to me how much Americans worry about where their kids are and what they’re doing all the time. The children here roam about as they please and I never see parents too concerned about it. For dinner we had g-nut sauce on matoke (cooked bananas) and sweet potatoes (not orange like ours). It was delicious but my stomach didn’t appreciate it in the morning. For the rest of the night we sat in the living room, per usual. I love listening to Mama Harriet talk about her faith. She has such a genuine love for Jesus and care for people. We always end the night by praying and sometimes singing a song. That night we sang “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” and it was beautiful.

On Wednesday morning I had my Cross Cultural Practicum class and got to choose what site I wanted to work at for the semester. I had the rest of the day free, so I got some reading done for class and enjoyed the sun (maybe a little more than my skin wanted me to). Being present is really hard. I find it close to impossible to sit down and think solely about the single moment I’m in – nothing past, nothing future. This is something I’ve always found hard, but have become even more aware of since coming to Uganda. I want to experience everything and take in every moment completely while I’m here, but there always seem to be 1000 things on my mind. I would love prayers for that!

Thursday I got to go to my practicum site, ACHERU (Afaayo Child Health, Education, and Rehabilitation Unit). It could not be a more perfect fit for me. The compound is about a 30 minute drive from UCU – it would take 15 in the States but driving here is like navigating the Rainbow Road level of Mario Kart – and is set in the countryside. There are kids of all ages and disabilities staying at Acheru, all for different amounts of time. Some come with cleft palates, some with clubbed feet, some with osteomyelitus, etc. I get to work alongside the nurse and I’m so excited to get exposed to the medical field so early on. The children at Acheru walk around with their casts and crutches and are in a lot of pain, but they’re all smiles. It’s a really humbling and touching place. We left Acheru around noon and made it back for lunch. I had my African Literature class at 2 with the wonderful Dr. Patrick Mukakanya. The evening was a typical night at home. Something I really love is how people are always coming and going at our house. It reminds me of a line I read in the book we’re reading for Faith & Action (“The Primal Vision”) that talks about this trait common to Africans: “A visitor is never an interruption.” There’s always someone new in the house and it’s never a planned visit, but Mama Harriet is never surprised to hear a knock on the door.

Friday the whole group went on a retreat to a really nice place called Vision for Africa. We had some good discussion about a few articles and spent the rest of the day relaxing – and I got REAL COFFEE! We got back around 5:30. Each time I walk into my house it feels a little more like home, and sitting around all night doesn’t feel as monotonous.

I was reflecting on the week last night and thought of a couple words to describe the beginning of this semester: bluntness and patience. If children are blunt and honest, then Ugandan children are ruthless. Examples: Liz telling me I need to brush my hair (apparently the “beachy wave” isn’t a look here) and little Linda telling me I look like a boy because I have strong arms and my “breasts are not very large.” Luckily my self-esteem is pretty secure and I just laugh at the harmless comments. Not-so-luckily, I am an impatient person even in the fast-paced culture of America, and Uganda is on the opposite end of the spectrum as far as speed and efficiency goes. From moving at a snail-like pace on the roads, to waiting 30 minutes for a smoothie, to waiting for Dr. Mukakanya to get to class 10 minutes late, I’m seeing that my patience will be tested more than ever in these next few months.

I’ve really been enjoying having a little sister. She is a very entertaining 11-year-old and makes me laugh. Last night she insisted that pimples on my back are mosquito bites because zits don’t grow on the body. The other day she couldn’t believe that we don’t have monkeys (because monkeys are like squirrels to Africans). Being the youngest of four, I’ve never gotten to experience a younger sibling, but Liz actually feels like a little sister to me already.

The verse that I’ve been holding onto closely since arriving in Africa is Psalm 139:13-14 – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” It reminds me that even though I’m in a new place with new people and often feel inadequate, I have a constant companion who knows me completely and finds me wonderful.

It’s noon on Saturday and Liz is home alone, so I’m about to leave UCU to be with her. I just wanted to give you all an update on life. As always, thoughts and prayers are appreciated as I try to balance my time with classes, USP students, homework, and my wonderful family. Much love always! 

week 1

Uganda has already been wonderful to me. I arrived at about 1:30 in the afternoon to the Entebbe airport, thankfully without any travel troubles (unlike 5 of the girls whose luggage was lost). Courtney, one of the program assistants, and John, one of the USP drivers, were there to pick us up. The drive from Entebbe to Mukono took about 3 hours, so I had a lot of time to take in my first glimpses of Africa. I sat in the back of the van and looked out the window as John navigated through the slightly terrifying traffic, which consists of more motorcycles than cars. There were stands on the side of the road where women had neatly piled beautiful fruit and kids were standing or sitting or walking all over the place. It’s hard to tell who belongs to whom here. Advertisements for things like BIC smooth-shave razors and Doublemint gum (“Start Something Fresh!”) are painted to cover entire buildings, so there are bright colors everywhere. If there’s one word to convey my first-day observations about Uganda, it is the word “free”. Not free in the American “land of the free” way, but free in the general attitude about life. Grown-ups, babies, cows, and goats alike all conduct their daily activities so casually and without need for rush or organization. The ways in which motorcycle taxis weave through the cars or the woman breastfeeds on the balcony of her apartment is so different from the way of life I’m accustomed to. Even the buildings are free in a sense. A run-down, seemingly vacant building contains a pile of wood that a woman uses to lay on for her afternoon nap. Every space is a shared space, and not much is wasted. While a bunch of boys play soccer in a field, two big cows walk around eating grass right beside them. The lanes are shared by vans, cars, motorbikes, and walkers. As I sat with my arm out the window, a boy screamed “mzungu!” and pointed out the van full of white girls to his friends, and they all waved. I experienced so much of Uganda before even arriving in Mukono.

We pulled into the university (Uganda Christian University) just before dinner and went to the outdoor dining hall for the staple rice and beans meal. Breakfast the next day was bread and hot tea, and that will be breakfast for the next four months. Most of the past few days has been spent getting to know the other 21 girls on the trip and doing orientation things before classes start on Monday. We have made a few African friends here at UCU, like the three children that live on the grounds named Linda (7), Lindon (4), and Lori (1). They stop us mzungus every time we pass by their home. There is a student here named Victor who gave us all Ugandan names the other day. My name is Mukisa, which means blessing.

Yesterday I got to meet my homestay family for the first time. When I arrived at the house, there were a bunch of neighborhood kids gathered around the van to see me. I got out and Mama Hariet was there with open arms waiting to embrace me. I went inside with Mama and my 11-year-old sister Liz. The first thing we did was kneel on the floor of my bedroom and thank God for all that He’s done. I felt overwhelmed in the best way. The power went out before dinner, so Liz and I walked to a store and bought a small candle. We ate our dinner – greens, rice & beans, potatoes, and the best pineapple I’ve ever had – by light of the candle and my little headlamp. We sat for a while while my kettle of bathing water heated, and luckily the power came back on. I told Mama Hariet all about my life, and we got talking about the differences between Americans and Ugandans. She visited the States last year, and remarked about how much we value time. “In America if you say 9 o’clock, it means 9 o’clock. In Uganda if you say 9 o’clock, it could be 10 or 11.” I am one of the most time- and task-oriented people I know, so spending night after night in a living room with nothing but conversation will be a huge learning experience for me. We talked until my water was ready, and then Mama and Liz poured the hot water from the kettle and some cold water from a jug into a basin in the bathroom. After using the wooden latrine (squatty-potty), I took my first basin shower by standing over the water and cupping it over me. For the rest of the night we talked and watched an Indian soap opera that had been translated into Luganda and English. Mama loves it and I laugh at it. I went to sleep in my bed with my mosquito net around me and woke up around 6. Once I was awake I couldn’t fall back asleep because of the roosters, birds, dogs, and other noises outside. About an hour later, Liz woke up and prepared my bread and tea before walking me to campus.

The first few days here have been filled with a range of emotions and thoughts, but I can tell I’m going to have an amazing experience in Mukono, Uganda, Africa. I love and miss you all!