Sorry It's So Long!

Today was a really eye opening day. We woke up this morning and went to a village about an hour away called Kyampisi. The village was hugely affected by the war fare that occurred in Uganda about a decade ago and the village is still working on rebuilding.

Today the boys worked on building a nursery school for the village to use. The girls and the Ugandans went around the different village homes and talked with people, shared the gospel, and invited the people to the local church, which is run by a few of the Ugandans in the Empower A Child organization.

We went with groups of 3 Americans and 1 Ugandan. My Ugandan was a girl named Amanda, who I really like. She is very funny.

Anyways, we ended up only getting to talk to 3 different families because most of the people were out working in their gardens, which is how they feed their families and make a living.

The first couple we talked to was an older couple. They are raising 6 of their orphaned grandchildren on their own. I wish it wasn’t rude to take pictures of their houses because you would have been shocked. It was very small, very run down, and very dirty. It was probably the size of a family living room in America and 8 people lived there! The thing that shocked me the most was how kind these people were. They invited us in and talked to us for about 15 minutes or so. The man just recently became a Christian, and his wife is still considering it, but she has promised us she will come back to the church on Sunday when we come. We also prayed for their family and her salvation before we left. As we were leaving, the woman gave each one of us 3 passion fruit, so 12 total. Amanda said we had to take them because it would be rude not to. I was blown away by how giving this woman was. That is a lot of food for the circumstances her family is in, and she and her family have nothing compared to American standards, but she was still willing to give to people she had just met. I wish more American had such a giving attitude.

We talked and prayed with another older woman who was raising 4 of her orphaned grandchildren on her own. She again had a pretty run down home and when we asked her what we could pray for her about, all she asked was for us to praise God for the blessing He has given her through her children and grandchildren. Amazing!

The final man we talked to lived in a literal hut. The first 2 houses had cement walls with a straw roof, but this one was an actual hut with bamboo siding, etc. He was very nice and told us that he wanted to be saved, but was scared to come to the church in the village because he was afraid they would try to convert him from his traditional family religion of Catholicism. Not that Catholics are Christians, but I guess in his mind they aren’t. We explained to him that having a relationship with Jesus is about the relationship and not about the religious traditions. He and his wife are both coming to the church on Sunday. I’m excited to see what might come of that. Please pray for them!

On a side note, trekking through the jungle made it easy for the mosquitoes to find me today. I’m pretty sure the mosquitoes here are on steroids. I have about 5 huge welts on my legs from them. They are probably at least twice the size of regular mosquito bites. Good news is they don’t itch as much.

After we went around the village, we came back and to the main part of town and played with kids on their break from recess. Most of the kids were missing pants or shirts, and they were all very dirty, yet very happy. I was stunned to see the happiness they had in the conditions they were in.

After playing we ate some lunch prepared by the village woman and our house chef. We had porridge, which is not really porridge but corn meal, water, and a little bit of sugar mixed together. I know that sounds terrible, but its really not as bad as it sounds. I definitely wouldn’t add it to my list of favorite foods though. We also had the usual rice and beans, and what the Ugandans call pancakes, or pani in luganda. They are really not pancakes at all. Rather they are mashed matooke (the unripe, green bananas) formed into small circles and fried. They are really good I think. I’m going to try to figure out how to make them so I can make some for you when I get home.

After we had finished eating we gave our leftovers to the kids in the village. Some were coming home from school and some of them had spent the morning with us because their family is too poor to afford school. The kids looked like dogs eating out of a food dish. I know that sounds terrible, and I don’t mean it too, but it is really the best description I can give. Colin, one of the Ugandans, told me that that is the only meal most of the kids will have all day. They were so hungry and so appreciative of the leftovers we had given them. It was really so very sad.

In case I haven’t already told you, Empower A Child also does sponsorships, similar to Compassion International. It helps to pay for the kid’s school, school supplies, food, and healthcare. The difference between this program and Compassion’s is that it is only $30 a month, and I can meet with and take pictures of your kids while I am here. I can even give them gifts from you if you would like to arrange something. I wish you could have seen these kids today. I have already made the decision to pick up one, and maybe two, for sponsorship. I hope that you will pray about this opportunity and let me know if you and your family would also be willing to sponsor a child within the Empower A Child organization.

After leaving the village, we came home and rested at the house a bit before heading to another school to play basketball. In protest of basketball because I am so terrible, I brought a soccer ball. One of the Ugandans, Edwin, and I played soccer with some of the kids in the school yard. Edwin used to play professional soccer in Uganda. He is extremely good. It was so much fun to just kick around the ball and play soccer in the way most of the world plays it: in the streets with no rules.

One of the boys in the yard talked to me for a while and told me I was the best girl soccer player he had ever seen. He was literally shocked by my talent. This made me laugh, because as Brett and Max will tell you, I’m not very good at all. After talking to him for a bit, I found out he thought I was so good because girls don’t usually play soccer in Uganda. It is considered a boys sport. It was nice to feel good about myself for a while anyways :).

Tonight I went back to the market and bought some things that I forgot, like washcloths and hair ties. One thing I forgot that I have yet to find in Uganda? Headbands. Like the stretchy cloth kind that you slide on. It would be nice to have here because your hair gets greasy and gets in your face constantly. Anyone wants to mail me a couple? It would be greatly appreciated.

I also bought more minutes for my phone. My phone number is 011256783596204 but its about .20 a text and .25 cent a minute for me and .20 a text and I don’t even know how many cents a minute for you, so lets stick to e-mail and save the phone for emergencies and times when you really miss me :).

Tomorrow we are going to participate in a school debate/trivia match. I have been placed on the team, but I don’t really know what’s expected of me. It should be an interesting morning. In the afternoon, we are going to Little Beach. Don’t worry mom, I won’t get in the water!

Also, in case you’re wondering, every time I go to take a shower in the evenings, the water stops working, I so have been bathing with a basin full of water, a cup, and a washcloth. Again, its really not as bad as it sounds, I’ve actually kind of gotten used to it.

I do, however, find it virtually impossible to feel completely clean in Africa. The good news is, everyone else is pretty much in the same boat, so I fit in well.

Sorry today’s post was so long. But today was such an eye opening day and I wanted to share it with you!

Feeling dirty,
Jenna

P.S. Today’s word-boda boda (pronounced how it’s written)-These are motorized bikes. Tons of people ride them here and they are everywhere in the city. The even have boda boda taxis!

P.P.S. Another fun Ugandan fact: Uganda used to be owned by the British Empire, so they do a lot of things British. For example, the steering wheels in cars are on the right side, but they drive on the left side like we do in America. It’s very unusual!