I’ve been back in Africa for close
to a month now, and it feels like only days!
I got to spend the first week here in Jinja, my old stomping grounds,
soaking in time with friends, seeing my foster baby and precious ones I love at
Ekisa, and being in a place that I know, that is like home, that is easy and
good and comfortable. It helped ease back into Africa life.
sweet baby loves at Ekisa
reunion/sendoff dinner with many of my dear Jinja friends
In some ways, it definitely made it
harder to say another round of goodbyes to friends there after all the goodbyes from America, but it was also such
a time of encouragement and blessing and sending out from this community of brothers and sisters. It was a sending out with deep
encouragements from them for leaving the comfortable and known and choosing the unknown, the risky,
the far-flung.
In early August I met my team in
Kampala (the capital) and spent a few days there getting groceries, going to an
English-speaking church (Watoto, which I LOVE), and spending some time getting
to know my team. The team who is here
now is comprised of people I had not yet met, and whom I had been praying for
good connections and community early-on between us. The Lord richly answered
those prayers, even from the outset with sweet conversations and connections! I
am thrilled to be here with these current teammates, they’re the bomb! They are deeply rooted in the Word and the Lord, and they are working
for the Kingdom, each in their own ways.
I am blessed to know them and serve alongside them here.
The drive out here was long and
oh.so.beautiful! So green, full of little villages and people all along
the road, going who knows where, carrying all kinds of things on their heads,
their backs, their bodas, or their cars. Men standing on top of cows in the
backs of trucks, women and children carrying jerry cans of water, school
children on the way home, and so much life happening outside our windows.
driving through the green-ness
Then we got to Fort Portal, the
closest larger town, and had a little breather in the clean mountain air. Then,
onto Bundibugyo, toward the mountains! Oh how beautiful they are! So
high, so green, so different than anything I've ever seen in Uganda. The clouds
are so close you feel like you can touch them, the road so curvy you feel like
you might find the cliff edge around the next turn. The mountains spoke
deep to my heart of His majesty and creative heart and mind. They are
magnificent!
early view of the glorious Rwenzori Mountains
We drove around the top edge of the
mountains, then cut back down toward Bundibugyo town and then toward our homes.
I was stunned by the drive. It's breathtaking and awesome. It is His handiwork on display. And I get to live at the foot of these
mountains and see His glory day by day.
daily view...this doesn't even begin to do it justice
These last few weeks here I have
been seeing the town with Ann, who is my mentor for the time here and also does
new team member orientation. I’ve been to market, we've been around
visiting friends of hers, beginning to learn the language, seeing town, getting
to see Christ School where I'll be focusing (SO exciting), and doing some
orientation for the bundi life! I have begun making some friends here, and for
that I am very thankful! Two girls, Edith and Ida, are becoming sweet friends.
They took me touring around town and to their homes yesterday, and we have
plans for getting together this weekend as well. Thankful for relationships happening already!
It's been fun, exciting, tiring,
good, full, and just much. There are moments I can't believe I'm here,
that this has actually happened and all come together and this is my home for
two years. And then there are moments I feel totally inept and
ill-equipped for learning a new language, building a whole new community and life,
and living out the gospel before those I meet. So thankful that He is faithful to meet me in
each of these and be truth and life and joy and peace, equipping me for what He
has asked for today, for this moment, and asking me to trust Him with the rest.
It is in this that I keep walking, knowing He is the same yesterday, today and
forever, and that He has given me manna to feed upon for today, and that is
enough.
More to come on Bundi life, what I’m
learning, and all kinds of fun…stay tuned