The kids are right now watching a movie, it's Friday so it's movie night, and since today things were as they usually are, it doesn't quite feel like I'm leaving at noon tomorrow. I still had them working hard on their Bible verse and doing activities this afternoon, and I just did some redecorating of their hallways to change up some of the children's work. I've redone their bulletin boards and added/changed a lot to what was hanging, and in a few months it will all be redone again by another missionary.
When Fauziya fell on me telling me not to go and then Annet got in my lap to tell me she missed Auntie Jo and didn't want me to go to America, I feel sad again about being another one that leaves them. I wish I could just bring them all home with me!
I just re-looked briefly at all my photos of the kids, I have over 700 of the kids alone, and then another 1,500 of Uganda, my safari, and other ministry opportunities. So here are a few more cute ones of the precious faces I'm leaving behind in the morning.
Please pray for me as I travel to DuBai for a pit stop to visit a college girlfriend and then continue my journey to NY on Monday. Pray not only for my safety, but for the kids and staff as I leave, and for my heart as I say good-bye.
I'll let you know I've arrived home safely. Thanks for being with me on this journey!!
What I've learned:
1. How to be thankful, for basic things in particular.
2. That I am extremely blessed. Not only with money and material things, but with gifts and talents, and supportive, loving friends and family.
3. That the Bible is a great resource to combat issues, understand how others have triumphed through difficulties, and how God wants me to live. This is an ongoing learning experience, that began before my arrival but that I was very aware of during my time here.
4. Several Lugandan words (I spelled them the way they sound to me, not necessarily properly):
Sidika - quiet Sidika wo - hush Moi Sidike - shut up
Abaana - children Owanji - Yes Nada - no
Abawala - girls Abalunghi - boys Kalle - you're welcome
Tulle - sit down Weballe - Thank you Jinde - I am fine
Mele - Food Jangu - come Vaio - go
5. That I function on a very high level and my switch is turned on all the time; I'm always aware of my surroundings and environment, but most people are not.
6. That I have an ability to teach and direct others.
7. That kids grow up way too fast, and sometimes too soon, and that spending quality time with them is essential.
8. That we all could use some psychotherapy, or at least a best friend that tells you when you're wrong, listens well, and offers good advice.
9. That I am thankful to live in a place that has mixed cultures, races and languages, because here I stick out way too much.
10. How to drive on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road.
What I still need to work on:
1. Patience.
2. Focusing on my own work and not getting frustrated with others' lack of work ethic.
3. Finding peace and quiet time for myself (although I did this to some extent every day, Auntie Jo still thinks I need more "me" time).
4. Being gentle when instructing others.
5. That other people can do the work too, it might not be to my standards, or the way I do it, but that is ok. 11.29.12
Another blog of randomness...
Today was my last day off, I did laundry, went grocery shopping, cleaned, organized and started packing. Many of my clothes are ruined from the crappy washing machine and intense African sun, so some of them I am merely returning with because I want to use them to cushion the gifts I'm bringing home, and then to the trash they go. Some of my clothes are staying here simply because I can spare them and some of the staff members would like them. Since I also brought an entire suitcase full of donations and activity folders, I can fit one suitcase inside the other and only have to return with a carry-on and one suitcase! I am quite a light packer, although from previous blogs you can see that 9 outfits was a bit extreme, I'm so sick of my clothes!!!
We took two of the kids grocery shopping with us today, it's an extra treat when they are on holiday. Sometimes I am concerned that these kids live sheltered lives, they hardly get out, especially the littlest ones who don't go to school. When I am out on a walk it is very typical for me to see a four year old walking by himself with a little jerry can for water, but our kids don't know how to walk by themselves to school. It's certainly one of my suggestions on their evaluation: when running local errands always take a kid along to help them observe their environment and learn by seeing.
I was reading today about the atrocities in Congo, do you know that over 1,000 women are raped every day in DRC?! In my facebook post I shared the link (which I never do, besides to my blog) with a comment that maybe it's because I'm only a few hours from these atrocitities, or maybe because they are so egregious, but I am so flabbergasted that CNN and BBC aren't broadcasting about this from every media angle possible because the Congolese deserve as much attention as Syria and Gaza.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/27/opinion/congo-war-ignored-vava-tampa/index.html?fb_action_ids=10151327469756096&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
I went for a walk with 6 of the kids today in pairs, 3 walks, so I got my exercise in. It was fun to spend some (somewhat) individualized time with them. I geared each length of walk and our discussions based on the age group. With Joshua and Joel, the oldest kids, it was certainly the longest walk and along the busiest route and we talked about school, how to walk properly and about me going back to America. When I went out with Annet and Cocus, kids in the middle, I told them they could hold my hand, but they didn't have to, as long as they walked with me and followed any commands on the busier roads, Cocus always wants to hold my hand. We talked about bricks and how not to react when they smell something horrible, we went past a feed market, but I don't want them reacting like they did if someone is smelling badly. Then after rest time Emma, Carol and I headed out, unfortunately we stopped at one point and Emma was standing in the middle of those terrible biting ants I blogged about on my safari, I had to pull his pants down and take them out of his underwear, suprisingly he didn't cry, and he walked the entire time, he's really growing up!!
And then I got through working on using scissors properly with 7 of them; the funniest thing was that Esther could not cut wihtout sticking her tongue out! I felt successful in really spending quality time with the kids. I'm trying hard not to punish them so that it is all happy time, but Joel was struggling in a lot of ways today with not only making bad choices but lying about it, so he definitely got served some time-outs. I guess I wouldn't be the kind of parent to spoil my child and let them get away with everything, that's good to know about myself!
Here's a great quote from my Bible about righteousness that I love, but for some reason haven't shared yet: "Righteous things do not earn us acceptance by God, rather they are a natural response from people who have experienced God's forgiveness and love."
I feel like 3 months of blog-writing is starting to catch up to me, sorry if the content is boring. Don't worry only a few days left, hang in there, there's bound to be a fruitful one about all I've learned, or how I've grown, or something like that. 11.27.12
Oh man, it's really starting to feel like I'm coming to the end of my trip. Leaving America wasn't this hard and I think it was because I knew I'd be back in 3 months. If you recall before I left it didn't even hit me that I was leaving until a few days before I left, and now here I am having known it for a while and with a few days left I'm really feeling it, cherising the moments.
Today was our last day of serving at A Perfect Injustice, the street ministry. After all our lessons, activities and devotions were over, just before blessing their meal we told the boys it was our last week. I spoke on behalf of the three of us girls saying that serving there was our favorite ministry opportunity and it's because we love the boys so much (needless to say they were excited to hear that). They had a boy serve as their spokesman thanking us for everything and then one boy prayed for our journey; it was really sweet and touching, and made me aware that when I say/said good-bye it might be forever. Many of the boys hugged us good-bye, and I considered that a really big step for them; we had always been warned that many of them don't touch because of fear or things from their past, so this was especially heart-warming. I got teary-eyed saying good-bye.
The other night Don got me teary-eyed too. Since I had the kids make a picture for Auntie Jo and Auntie Cassady to make a book, and they did something similar for me, the kids know we are leaving soon. So the other night when I asked the boys for prayer requests Don asked to pray for the three of us, and coming from a 4 year old that has the attention span of a fly I was amazed that it even registered to him.
We had a camp-out last night (aka we built a fire and did devotions outside while eating their version of s'mores: butter cookies, chocolate syrup and a marshmallow) and that is another sign of someone's visit coming to an end. I'm doing everything I can to hold on to the precious moments, like holding each child individually and praying with them, doing their first puzzle with them, learning new games, and going for walks.
I know that I have impacted their lives and I'm so thankful for being able to know it. Not only have I changed them through potty-training and learning how to tell time, or identify letters and numbers, but through all my activities, games, play-time opportunities, the love I have given them, and the Bible stories and verses I have taught them. I am so grateful to have a servant's heart, for having heeded the call and travelled here, for loving on my abaana's and having felt their love in return. 11.26.12
I led devotions tonight on resolving conflict because I have been reading Matthew and Proverbs daily and within 2 days of each other both books had something to say about it.
The passage in Proverbs (ch 6) was about when you make a mistake. It calls for you to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness, and not to wait, sleep on it, etc. but go right away as soon as you realize your wrong-doing and apologize. I think it is also important when you are the one who has been wronged for you to humble yourself, acknowledge even to the person you are asking to fix their mistakes, that you are often at fault for things too, it helps them feel less attacked and less on the defensive. Matthew 18: 15 tells us in the instance of a person wronging you to go and tell them their mistake. It's a great idea to have an accountability partner, someone to help you rectify ongoing struggles within yourself, you are almost to act like one in this instance. This is not telling us to share someone's mistake or wrong-doing with others in a gossipy way, just go acknowledge the issue with the person and hope for a resolution. If that doesn't work take along one or two people as witnesses to try and get the issue resolved. Very seldom would you have to go to the next step which is to share the concern with many others (a whole church) in hoping to find a resolution. If that doesn't work the passage tells us to treat them as a pagan or tax collector; if they aren't living right, even when taught and shown otherwise, they aren't living the way God has called us to. But notice there are many steps before this last one. We all stumble multiple times and sometimes it is over the same issue, luckily, like God's grace and mercy we are to offer second and third chances for rectifying problems.
What is most interesting, and something Auntie Jo can't stand about this passage, is that ministers and others (including myself, before) in prayer often say, "wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there you are also", but contextually this is talking about conflict resolution. God is ever present, it doesn't require two or three of us to be together. 11.24.12
There are a couple of things I want to work on with the kids, some might be a little young for a few things, but I can't single any child out or they'll have a fit. One thing I want to teach them is how to use scissors, so today I asked Auntie Jo to make big shapes on construction paper and at some point this week we'll learn how to cut! Auntie Jo also started teaching Fauziya how to floss yesterday, but the other big kids should learn too. I also want to work on prayer time with them: how to pray, what to pray for, how to be thankful in prayers, etc.
Just one week left...sad and happy. 11.24.12
For a while I went on a hiatus of taking pictures while we're driving somewhere, or taking random shots of the kids every day, but as my time is quickly coming to an end I've picked up my picture taking habits, and started taking lots of videos too so I can hear their sweet voices. Thank God for skype so that when I go back to Philly I can skype with the kids still!
Did a little black Friday shopping today, well, our own version of black Friday, where you have to be a good bargainer to get a bargain! We went to the craft market today to get final presents for family and friends. I can typically get the price down 1/4-1/2 the original price they tell me, so in the end I'm not sure if it's a bargain or just the price you'd pay if you were Ugandan instead of a mazungu.
Today was the kids' last day of school for the year, their school years run similar to the calendar year. They won't start until mid-January, they'll stop in April for a month or so and then resume for a few months, off for August and on from September-November again. So our (all 3 of us missionaries came within a week of eachother and we'll leave within a week of eachother) last week with the kids we'll have plenty of time with them for playing, doing activities, taking pictures and memorizing tender moments, like when they just wake up from nap and want to cuddle, or want to tell you something so sweet. My happiest moment of today was just putting the kids to sleep. I always sing them a hymn, they love 'Amazing Grace', but recently I've added touching each one of them on the head as I sing it, they lay quiet and completely still with beaming smiles when I get to them. It melts my heart! 11.23.12
