The Life and Times of Jenna

Project Update

2010-05-17T19:39:00.001-07:00

Alright guys, the rules have been finalized. They are as follows:

1. The individual must have been born, and still be, a man.

2. The guy must be between the ages of 20 and 29

3. The guy can not be married, engaged, or in any sort of serious relationship.

4. I can not have spent more than 3 hours of direct contact with the guy in my lifetime.

5. My safety can not be at risk by going out on the date (i.e the guy can't be a creeper)

6. The guy can not know about the book prior to the date.

Ironically enough, the first date happened to be this weekend. The guy searched my name at dinner and found my blog and I had to confess the whole thing. Awkward! You can read all about it when I release portions of the chapters online, or when the book is totally finished.

For now, I'm waiting for someone to hook up date #2. Let me know!

It's time to get serious,

Jenna

The Rules

2010-05-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

So I finished my first week at my new job, which means I'm ready to start my next project.

If you don't know what project I'm talking, then you should scroll down and read all the details. If you don't feel like doing this, a quick summary:

I'm going on as many blind dates over the next few months as I can, and then I'm writing a book on my experiences.

And then, I'm going on Ellen (hopefully).

A project this big, with this many people involved, needs some rules. As humorous as I want my book to be, there are a few things I'm not willing to do. Here are the rules I've come up with up:

1. The person have been born and still be, a man.

2. The guy must be between 20 and 29 at the time of the date.

3. I can't have had more than 3 hours of direct interaction with the guy in my lifetime.

4. My safety can't be at risk by going on a date this the guy (i.e the guy can't be a creeper)

And now, a question for the 2 of you who read this:

Should I establish a rule number 5 that says that they guy can not know that I am setting out to write a book?

I see two sides to this:

1. A guy will be more himself if he doesn't know there's a possibility he will make an appearance in my best seller.

2. It seems a bit dishonest to go on a date with a guy without telling him the facts.

Regardless, I am planning on changing their names when I write about them, so their identity will never be known, but, I just can't decide which route would be better.

Awaiting your thoughts,

Jenna

My Newest Project

2010-05-11T21:33:00.001-07:00

So I’ve been out of the game a while. I haven’t written a single blog, or a single thing besides medical documentation since my departure from Africa. Daniel, however, requested a blog post, and since I’m broke until my first paycheck comes in, this is his late birthday present.

I was reflecting today on why I haven’t written in so long. Almost a year really. And I think its because I thought I had nothing interesting to write about. Not that my blogs prior to Uganda about things like dog vomit and my view on the Olympics were really all that interesting, but once you write about things like African safaris and white water rafting the Nile and sharing the love of Christ with some of the world’s neediest and yet most full of joy children, funny trips to the store and the like don’t really seem all that interesting or worthy of the time it takes to write about them.

That might have been the world’s longest run on sentence.

Anyways, in all actually, I’ve done a lot with my life in the last 9 months. A quick bullet summary (in no particular order) for those of you unable to keep up:

I discovered in Africa that despite previous concerns, I am actually quite capable of living independently. Before I left, I thought I needed certain people in my life in order to be happy or successful. Discovering the contrary has been quite a freeing experience.

I learned to appreciate my family and the year I get to spend with them. I learned to view my sister as a grown up. Weird.

I worked my first job waiting tables at a restaurant called Genghis Grill here in Georgetown. I wanted to make sure that I waited tables sometime in my lifetime, because I think its an experience everyone should have. I learned to love mongolian food. I learned to tip better. I learned humbleness and patience. I learned to care about and enjoy spending time with people who are very different than me in lifestyle and life views. I learned that’s ok. I learned that restaurants and the food that comes with them are NEVER as clean as you think (always drink your drinks from a straw people!)

I spent 3 months working on Fort Hood for an internship for school. I learned that the military culture is very different from the average Americans. I made some great friends that I still keep in touch with. I learned to love and enjoy the people that serve in our military. I developed a greater respect for the people that serve our country.

I spent 3 months at an outpatient pediatric clinic in Round Rock. I learned that pediatric occupational therapy is for me. I learned that no matter how old you get, women will always have the occasional spouts of drama and gossip.

After comparing the two work environments, I learned that I enjoy working in work environments that have more men than women.

I spent almost every Sunday morning and evening at two different churches sharing with kids the beauty of the Gospel. I learned that children’s ministry is my passion and where I’m meant to be.

I finished school with my Master in Occupational Therapy in 5 years. My brain still hasn’t learned that I’m actually done with school forever. So weird.

I got a fabulous contract job in Killeen at a pediatric clinic called Kidz Therapeze. I started there this week. It’s been a bit stressful getting my case load set up and learning how everything works, but I love it so far and I’m so excited about the time I am going to get to spend here. I’m even more excited that I get another opportunity to give back to the military community by helping their children. What a great combination!

I learned that despite previous thoughts, I still have an overwhelming fear of letting someone in enough that they could hurt me. Its insane to me that even a year or so later, the selfish acts of someone could have such an effect on me, no matter how badly I don’t want them too.

I dated a great guy who serves in the army. I learned to develop a great deal of respect for the work he does and the person he is. Unfortunately, I also learned that no matter how great someone is on paper, the fear I still have is never going to allow a relationship to work successfully.

Which brings me to my next project. Stay with me here. In occupational therapy, when a kid has a problem processing sensory input, we give their sensory system lots of input to help them overcome the issues (sorry for my inner nerd coming out). I think the average American says it “face your fears head on”. In summary, I’m going on dating overload to help get over my fear of dating.

But, per my usual self, I’m doing it in a different way.

Many of you know that I have a list of things to do before I die. One of these is go on a blind date. One of these is to write a book. One of these is to be on Oprah. Another is to be on Ellen. I’m combining the 4.

Again, stay with me.

Over the next few months, I’m going on blind dates. Lots of them, as many as I can get my friends to set me up on.

And then I’m writing a book about my experiences. The first chapter is already in the works (the intro chapter, I haven’t had any blind dates yet).

My hope is that the book is good enough to get me on Ellen and Oprah. If not, I’ll have to find a weird human trick to get me on Ellen, and something tragic will have to happen to me to get on Oprah. We’ll call that plan B. At this point, the book seems much easier.

Sometime this week, I’ll be posting the specifics of how this thing is going to work. Hopefully, you think highly enough of me to participate.

Ellen, here I come!,
Jenna

First Day In London

2009-07-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I arrived in London, got my bags, and waited for my mom and sister to come and get me from the airport. After dropping my bags off at the hotel, we went and got some food. Pizza and cheesecake was my first meal outside of Africa, and it was so good.

After dinner it started to rain, so we headed back to the hotel. I also got to take a real shower and bath for the first time in 2 months. It was excellent. I’m pretty sure I was about 5 shades lighter once I got all the dirt that has been caked on me for two months off.

This morning, we woke up early and headed out to explore the city. We looked at the St. Mary’s in the Fields church, and Trafalgar Square. We watched the changing of the guards at the Horse Guards. Also on our list of stops was Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, the Jewel Tower. It involved a lot of walking and riding the subway, a lot of pictures, and a lot of tourists, but it was still really cool to see everything. In the evening we went and rode the London Eye and ate dinner at Harrod’s department store. The London Eye gave us some beautiful views of the city, and the potato skins and strawberry milkshake I had for dinner was fabulous.

Overall, it was a great day, but I still find myself missing Uganda a lot. I think it’s good that my mom and sister and London are here to distract me, because if I was just sitting at home, I would probably sink into some kind of depression. Whenever I see a clock, I immediately figure out what time it is in Uganda, and what I would be doing at that time.

I don’t want you to think that I don’t love being in London, because I do. It’s just that Uganda is always in the back of my mind.

I can’t wait to until I get to go back.

Looking forward to another day in London tomorrow,
Jenna

Leaving Uganda

2009-07-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

I slept about 3 hours last night. I stayed up really late packing and hanging out with everyone and then I had to get up at 5 so that I could get to the airport on time. I got ready, finished up packing, and then left a note for everyone at the house.
At 6, it was time to leave. Normally, people usually ride with people who are leaving to the airport as a way to see them off, but since I was leaving so early, I didn’t really expect anyone to come.

Rita, Diana, Jayan, Rachel, and Amy all got up to say bye to me, and Heath and Brett both came with me. So did Rocky, our gate guard. Also, Felix came all the way from his house (about 45 minutes) to our house so that he could come too. I was really moved by the number of people that wanted to see me off, especially Heath, Brett, Felix, and Rocky.

I cried again saying goodbye to everyone at the house, just in case you’re wondering.

We had a great ride to the airport, just talking about our favorite memories from the summer, laughing about things that have happened and talking about the first things I am going to do when I get home. It really helped to take my mind off leaving, and I’m really glad the boys decided to come with me.

Once we got to the airport, the guys helped me carry my stuff to the security gate, and then we had to say bye. I held it together during the goodbyes, but I started crying again once I got inside.

I was loading my bags into the security check point with tears running down my face. I’m sure I looked like such an idiot.

I got on the plane without any problems and said goodbye to Uganda from the plane. I cried again. The girl next to me thought it was because I was afraid of flying.

I am usually not so emotional about things. I hate crying, especially in public, but I literally couldn’t hold it in.

I’ve never had something not physical physically hurt me so much, if that makes sense. It actually physically hurt me to leave Uganda, I think.

My friend, Kelsey, has spent a few semesters in London in the past, and I remember her telling me one time that her heart was still in London. It’s a statement that has always stuck with me, but I have never understood it until today.

I love my family and I love my friends and I love the life I have in Texas, but a part of me will always belong in Uganda.

God has taught me so much this summer and has given me so many memories and experiences that were literally once in a lifetime. I am so grateful for every minute of the experience. I wish I could do a better job of describing it to you.

I think I may start to suffer from separation anxiety, I’m hoping London will help to ease the pain.

Missing Uganda,
Jenna

Last Full Day In Uganda

2009-07-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today was a bittersweet day. We woke up and had devotions and then spent some time praying and talking in small groups. I cried in my group when I told them about my sadness about leaving. It was the first of many tears.

After devotions, we went to the squatter’s neighborhood near Kambago to clean out their water hole. It was really dirty and gross, and we got really dirty and gross, but it looked so good afterwards! It felt really good to work my butt off for a few hours and then get such great results. We really made a difference in the lives of the people in that neighborhood.

After cleaning up, we came home and hung out at the house for a while. I took a shower and started working on getting things taken care of before I left. We also had some AIDS training, which basically consisted of learning the basics of AIDS, which I’ve gone over about 50 million times at school it seems like.

After our AIDS training, we went back to the squatter’s house to talk to people about AIDS. My group consisted of me, Brett, and David, a Ugandan. We went to two different houses and talked to people about the importance of getting tested for HIV/AIDS, and basic healthy practices that would help to prevent them from getting sick. We also prayed with them. We had to talk to them really quickly, because we didn’t have much time, but it was still nice to get to talk with them.

After the squatter’s neighborhood, a few of us went to the craft market so that I could get some last minute things before I headed home. I finally covered everyone on my list!

After the craft market I came home and hung out with everyone at the house for a while. I played Sorry, spoons, and speed with Jovan and Latisha, and then I had to tell them bye, which was really difficult. I really love those kids. I also spent some time talking with Helen, Tara, and Heath. Just hanging out at the house with everyone is something that I am going to really miss.

Towards the end of the night came the moment that I have been dreading for quite a while, my “goodbye circle”. Whenever someone leaves, everyone gets in a circle and says nice and encouraging things to the person, and then they pray for them.

Listening to people say nice things about you without saying anything back is extremely awkward, but it was still nice to listen to what everyone had to say. There were several times that I had to work really hard not to cry. Everyone talked about my sense of humor, and how cool it was that I did my therapy work on the kids, but some people also mentioned my leadership abilities, and my ability to motivate them, and how I made them feel welcome and was motherly towards them. Those last 3 were things that I didn’t expect at all. I loved finding out that you have an effect on people that you didn’t even realize was happening. It makes me want to be more conscious of the way I treat people all the time.

At the end of the goodbye circle, we always pray and then sing a song “We are family”. It’s not the song you’re thinking of, but it’s just as cheesy. I started crying during the prayer, kept going through the song, and was pretty much sobbing during a lot of the goodbye hugs. It was so embarrassing. I hate public crying.

I spent the rest of the night hanging out the Andrew, Heath, Diana, Jayan, and Rita. I spent most of it packing. There is no scale at the house, so poor Heath had to keep lifting my bags and guessing if my bags were under 50 pounds or not. Heath, if you read this, both were less than 50 pounds. Thanks for your help!

Tomorrow is the day I have been dreading for a while. I really don’t want to leave Africa, but I am excited to spend some time in London with my mom and Ally and to see everyone back home again. It’s really just a bittersweet moment with so many mixed emotions.

Confused and not looking forward to tomorrow,
Jenna

Last Day At Sanyu

2009-07-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

This morning was one of the most difficult mornings of my life. We woke up and went to Sanyu to spend the morning there. I brought along my treatment plans that I had written up for each of my therapy kids, and this morning I taught them all to Elias, the “therapist” working there. I did the best I could to explain everything to him so that he can continue to do good work on my kids when I leave.

It took pretty much the entire time for me to teach the exercises and treatment plans to Elias and Felix, but it was nice to get to see each kid one last time. Esther was also sick this morning, so I got to sit and hold her for a little bit while we waited for the nurse.

Also, a really nice lady came in while I was working with Francis from England. She told me that she would be here for a few weeks, and that she had made Francis her personal project. I showed her everything that I do with her, and explained to her the importance of Francis being placed in his chair often. She told me that she would ensure that he was well taken care of, so it was a real comfort and blessing. I felt a little better about leaving him knowing that he was in good hands.

After I finished teaching Elias all the treatment plans, I sat and talked to him a little while. He went on and on about what a blessing I have been to him and the kids this summer. He also gave me quite an honor. He explained to me that each different part of the baby’s home has a sponsor. Being a sponsor involves having your name on a plaque outside the area, being recognized at board meetings and such, and helping to ensure that the needs of the area are met. Currently, the kitchen, play area, and each classroom have a sponsor and Barbara recently decided that the therapy room needs one as well. She told Elias that he could pick a person, and today he asked me if I would be the therapy room sponsor. I was overwhelmed by what he had to say. It actually almost made me cry. I didn’t realize I had such a large effect on him. I felt really nice to have my work this summer recognized, no matter how small it is.

I ended therapy a little early so that I could say bye to all of my favorite kids before I left. I got a bunch of big hugs and slobbery kisses. It was wonderful.

Then, it was time to actually leave. I’ll be honest; I cried the entire way home. Not just eyes watery cry, but tears down the face, bottom lip quivering, nose running, super ugly cry. It was awful leaving those kids. I have developed such a love for them over the summer; it literally tore me apart to leave them.

After getting home and calming down, we had a quick lunch and then I finished organizing my paper and went and got it bound. It took a long time to do, because they actually hand bind the paper here, but after about an hour, it was finally finished!

It feels so good to be done!

After I got back I started working on getting things taken care of before I have to leave. Then, we had team bonding time. It involved practicing songs, giving each other uplifting comments, and answering random questions about ourselves. Even though it sounds lame, it was actually a lot of fun.

After team bonding time, I worked on my presentations some.

I also spent some time on the driveway with Heath just playing with the neighborhood kids. I’m really going to miss moments like that.

Tonight we are just hanging out at the house. We are probably going to watch School of Rock later.

My mom and sister are leaving in the next hour or so for London, so pray for a safe flight for them.

Sad that tomorrow is my last day in Uganda,
Jenna

My Last Sunday

2009-07-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to my last church service while in Uganda. We went to Kampala Community Church, which is the church Tara goes to when she is here in Uganda. The choir was really good, and we also got to see the children’s choir perform, which was really entertaining. The message was pretty good as well. After the service was over, the pastor and his wife gave us some sodas and took us on a small tour of the church. Everyone here is always so welcoming!

After church we came home and had a quick lunch. Then, Jovan and LaTisha came over and I took them swimming at a swimming pool nearby. I have been promising to take them swimming for forever, and today was the last day that we would have been able to go.

Swimming was a lot of fun, even though the water was freezing! We only lasted about an hour because we started getting too cold.

On the way home, we stopped by the supermarket and the fruit market to get some supplies for our cooking lesson. Jovan and LaTisha promised a long time ago to teach me how to make traditional Ugandan foods.

Once we got home, I washed some underwear and bras (hand washed, my mom would be so proud!) and sorted through the rest of my clothes to figure out what Sarah needs to wash for me before I go to London. After I finished, Irish Amy, Abby, and I went to Jovan and LaTisha’s house to learn to make the food.

We had such a blast! Jovan’s mom and aunt, Jovan, LaTisha and the three of us made Ugandan pancakes, chapatti, and rolexes. They also gave me the recipes for a bunch of other things. I am excited to come home and make everything for you guys. I am a little nervous it won’t turn out exactly right though. Ugandans don’t use measurements at all when they are making food. It’s all estimates! I’m a little nervous about it.

After cooking lessons I came home and played Sorry! with Jovan, LaTisha, and Abby. We also had a small birthday celebration for Emily from Alaska. She turned 17 today! If you thought sending me to Africa was hard, imagine sending your 16 year old daughter!

Tonight, I also printed out my paper! It is completely finished. Tomorrow I am taking it to a nearby stationary store to have it bound, and then all I have left to do is the presentation, which shouldn’t take long at all.

It has been such a great day!

Enjoying my last few days here,
Jenna

A Traditional African Wedding

2009-07-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Today was Sarah’s big day! We woke up and did our hair and got all ready to go, only to sit around for about an hour waiting to leave. Once we did finally leave, we drove close to 2 hours (with a stop for some lunch) until we arrived at Sarah’s parent’s house in Jinja.

Once we got to the house, we had to wait for women from Sarah’s tribe to tie up our dresses. Not to be conceited, but we looked pretty good. It took a while for everyone to get there and get ready. It also took a while for everyone to get organized.

The ceremony was supposed to start at 2, I think it actually started at 4. T.I.A.

Our part in the ceremony was relatively simple. We walked in, kneeled on mats in front of the future in-laws, and then recited some Luganda we had memorized.

By memorized I mean that most everyone else had memorized, but I suck at languages in general and definitely at Luganda, so I just moved my mouth like I knew what we were saying.

After our part, we sat down under some tents with the rest of the bride’s family and friends. Originally, I was excited about seeing a traditional African ceremony, but, the entire thing was in Luganda, without any translations, so it got old after about 10 minutes.

It lasted about 4 hours.

In general, the ceremony involved different members of the bridal party looking for the groom in the crowd and being unable to find him. Then, one of the groom’s aunts comes in and actually does find him, and brings him to Sarah.

Then, they try to negotiate a dowry. The family doesn’t accept and they do the whole search for the groom thing again. Then they negotiate. Then they accept, and then the groom’s family brings in the dowry.

It’s all fake, as the dowry has already been discussed and agreed upon, so it all seemed a bit silly to me.

The dowry involved a bunch of goats and cows, couches, and about a hundred baskets full of food. Sarah’s brother was also presented with a blank check. Diana told me that culturally, he will put in a decent amount, but that it is more symbolism for the fact that Sarah means more to him than any amount of money. That’s kind of cute, but I’m not all about the whole dowry thing.

Now that’s its all said and done, Sarah and her husband are married by African standards, but they are not married by the church’s standards. They are getting married in the church in December. It is up for debate on whether or not they can live together and act like husband and wife before their ceremony in December. Some of the Ugandans have told me that they can’t, and some of the Ugandan have told me that they can. I guess we will just wait and see.

After that, we got to eat the usual Ugandan food, makoote, rice, potatoes, beef, chicken, etc. It was good.

We left pretty soon after that.

On a side note, I also woke up this morning and finished my paper. It feels so good to finally be done with it! I am waiting for my mom to proof read it and send it back so that I can print it out and get it bound. Tomorrow I start on the presentation part, but that part should be relatively easy. What a relief!

Tomorrow is my last time at church in Africa. I am also going to take Jovan and LaTisha swimming. It should be a really fun day.

Loved Being A Part of Traditional Africa,
Jenna

Sweeping Mud

2009-07-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up and had a really quick devotion before heading to school to do breakfast ministries. My group went to Wankulukuku again. I really love that school and the kids there. This morning, I found out that most of the kids at the school have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. When we got there, part of our group started making porridge, while the rest of our group did a program. I ended up leading games, which ended up being quite a difficult task because the porridge took longer than expected to prepare and we had go to buy cups because the kids had nothing to eat the porridge out of.

I literally had to bring out every Ugandan game I could think of. I pulled out Cat and Rat, Mengo, I Want, I Want, Making Melodies and the Ugandan version of tug of war. I also had to pull out some American games, Red Light, Green Light, Hokie Pokey, Father Abraham. Game time literally lasted over an hour. I also had to help with worship a little bit because the girl leading worship has just started leading and had some trouble coming up with songs.

I could help but think of my first day here. I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t know any of the songs. I felt so awkward and uncomfortable and out of place. Today I led an over 2 hour program. Even Colin, one of the Ugandans commented on how comfortable I looked and acted. It’s crazy to think about how much I have changed since I have been here. Scared and awkward to comfortable and leading. Uganda actually feels like a second home to me now. It’s funny how quickly that happened. It took me close to a year to feel comfortable in San Marcos.

After games and songs, Vanessa told a quick story, and then we served porridge to all the kids who didn’t bring a lunch to school. They never eat anything at school, in case you’re wondering, so it felt good to give them something, at least for today.

While we were playing with the kids today, a little girl came up to me and started cleaning my feet with her fingers. I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn’t. The humbleness of the people here always blows my mind.

After the school we went home and had a really quick lunch and then Emily, Felix (who is finally back from his internship) and I went to the post office. Emily had a package to pick up, and I am still waiting on a few packages to come in. My packages still weren’t there, which was disappointing, but I am going back to check again on Monday or Tuesday, so keep your fingers crossed.

Emily and I also picked up some Bible for people. The guy tried to rip us off because we were white, so we didn’t end up getting everything we wanted.

Our trip ended up taking so long that we had to take a taxi and a boda boda to Good Choice Primary school. If you are an avid blog reader, you remember that Good Choice is the school that I went to when I had literally been in Uganda less than 10 hours. We went back to clean again and play with the kids.

I had a blast playing with the kids, and Heath, Rachel and I had a good time cleaning up a classroom. We literally swept and mopped (with rags, not mops) mud out of a classroom. We also cleaned the porch. Afterwards, there were lots of puddles of water in a walkway in front of the doors, so Benon literally had us sweep mud. We had a lot of fun making fun of it.

We also got really dirty. That was close to 3 hours ago, and I have yet to shower. My hygiene habits here in Africa have really gone down hill. I don’t shower or wash my hair everyday, and I have been sleeping on sheets with dirt stains on them for close to 2 weeks now. I’m also not washing any clothes until it’s time for me to pick out outfits for London. In short, I’m gross.

I promise not bring my hygiene habits home with me.

Hopefully, anyways.

Tonight we did some stuff to prepare for Sarah’s introduction ceremony. It is the African version of an engagement party, but here in Africa, it’s bigger than the wedding. The parents, in-laws, and bride and groom all meet and the families also discuss dowries, which are still down here in Africa. We had to iron our traditional wedding clothes, and Abby played with my hair some. I think I am actually going to do my hair and make up and feel like a girl for the first time in a while!

I also think I am going to be able to finish my paper before we leave tomorrow. The end is near!

Later tonight, we are having another share time around the bonfire. The last one was really good, so I am really excited about it.

Going to finally finish my paper,
Jenna

My Last Favorite Day of the Week

2009-07-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

This morning was another great day. I woke up early and did some work on my paper. I am so close to being finished! After everyone else had woken up, we headed to Sanyu. It was my second to last day there, which made me really sad, but I still had another great morning with the kids.

Francis’ chair is still not correct. I had made a marking for where I wanted his head piece to go and they placed it under the line instead of above (after I told them to place it above about 50 times), which I didn’t notice until I put him in it this morning. It was disappointing to still not see it done, but Douglas, one of the Ugandans says he can fix it quite quickly and easily for me tomorrow. I can’t wait to finally see it done and Francis sitting properly in it on Monday.

I did therapy on all the usual kids this morning and I realized how much I am really really really going to miss them. I have a really bad feeling I am going to cry when we leave on Monday.

That feeling is confirmed by the fact that I just teared up a little bit thinking about it.

On a more positive note, my friend Emily followed me around all morning. It was a little awkward to do therapy with someone taking pictures, but it was well worth it. The pictures came out BEAUTIFULLY. Seriously, I can’t wait to show them to you guys. Every time I look at pictures that Emily takes I can’t get over how talented she is. My walls are literally going to be covered with her photographs when I get home.

After Sanyu we came home and had a quick lunch before going to Remand. The kids went nuts during worship again. I get so happy and teary eyed every time. The energy and love and passion for Jesus that is in the room is just so awesomely indescribable. I’ll show you a video of it when I get home, but I have a feeling it won’t do it justice. Tara had the kids do a skit contest on family, which the kids really seemed to enjoy, and Heath gave another great message. That guy is going to be a great preacher one day I think.

Francis and I also talked to the warden and Moses again today. They have started working on his paperwork and Francis is going to go and talk to Moses’ parents when he goes back to Luwero on Saturday. Francis thinks he should be able to go home not this Saturday, but the next. He should also be able to go back to school this next term. I am going to help pay for his school fees as well.

I’m not really sure where the money for this is coming from, but it’s something that I have prayed about, so I am sure God will provide somehow.

Saying goodbye to Moses was really hard today. I cried to be honest. I have made such strong bonds and connections here, and I have a feeling that the goodbyes are only going to get harder. I left him a card and a picture of us, and Francis and I told him about his opportunity to go back to school and going home. He was super excited. Seeing the joy on his face was worth any pain I felt in saying goodbye. I love knowing that I am making a difference in his life.

On a completely unspiritual side note, on Saturday I gave Moses some body wash and today the boys were asking me how you use it. They had been using it like lotion and were complaining to me that it kept on making their skin sticky and dry. I couldn’t help but laugh. I have never had to explain to someone how to use soap before!

After Remand home, instead of going home with everyone, Francis and I went to a local market nearby. I wanted to go and get some stuff for Emily, Jessie, and my sponsor children. The market was literally like a giant garage sale. I’m pretty sure that everything in the market was at one time or another owned by an American. Everything was secondhand. We walked around for a bit and we able to find some really great deals. I got four pairs of shoes for $30, 3 dresses for $15, pants and a shirt for Jovan for $5, 4 mosquito nets for $10, and 4 backpacks for $13. Uganda is so cheap!

I also got some picture frames to put the pictures Emily and I printed in, and I am giving Francis money to buy Jovan’s family a mattress. I wish I could be there to see all the kids get the stuff.

Tonight I copied all the songs and Luganda words into my spiral so that I can remember them when I get home. It took a while, but it was well worth it. I can’t wait to teach you guys some Luganda and some African songs!

Dreading 5 days from now,
Jenna

2009-07-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up really early and got a lot of work done on my paper. Then, after devotions we went to Katawalma. It was my last time there, which was extremely depressing. I dropped off Francis’ chair so that they could make adjustments, and then I went to the therapy room. Karen wasn’t there this morning, so I worked with another therapist named Olive.

The first boy we worked with was named Edward. He was one of the happiest kids I have ever met. He couldn’t talk, but he laughed and smiled at everything. He has cerebral palsy and today we helped him learn to walk with a walker for the first time. He picked it up so quickly! This is the second time this summer that I have had the opportunity to watch a child take their first steps. It is truly an incredible experience, and I am so thankful to God for giving me the opportunity.

After working with Edward, I spent the rest of the time with Sansom. He was out of pain pills again and just cried and cried the entire time. It was really awful. I am also really sad that I can’t stay longer to help him and his family more. I actually kind of feel guilty about it. I know that’s a silly feeling to have, because there isn’t really much I can do for them anyways, but I can’t shake it.

After Katawalma we went home and had some lunch. We had some problems with the vans so we didn’t end of going to Clive. We went to a school called City Side. This made me extremely nervous. It took me 3 weeks to build up enough confidence to speak at Clive because I was comfortable with it.

Then, on the way there, we realized that we had no one to lead worship, and that Brett and I were the only none new people that actually knew the words to songs. This meant that we would be leading worship. Needless to say, I was super nervous.

When we got there, the students led most of the songs. They only asked us to do one song, and I think Brett and I pulled it off really well. After singing, Benon told me that I only had 5 minutes to share, so I went through my message from Luke 5 super fast. I told the story of the men lifting their paralyzed men through the roof to meet Jesus. I also spoke on the importance of sharing Jesus with our friends. It went well considering the amount of time I had.

After I finished, Benon find out that I actually had 15 minutes left. It was a little disappointing, but it did give us a chance to talk to the kids for a bit.

After Scripture Unions we came home for a bit before heading to play Bethany College in a basketball game. We got killed, I actually played for about 30 seconds, and Edith, Lynn, and I spent the rest of the time making up stupid cheers. It was a blast.

Tonight I stole/Emily let me have a bunch of beautiful pictures that she has taken while in Uganda. She does photography on the side and she is extremely talented. I can guarantee that some of her pictures will end up as artwork on my wall, and I can’t wait to show them to you guys.

Tonight I worked on my paper and watched The Pursuit of Happyness with everyone. Tomorrow is my last day at Remand home with Moses. Leaving is going to be so sad.

Tomorrow (tonight your time) I am getting up early to try and talk to my family again. Cross your fingers the internet is working. I should be on skype at around 9 or 930 if you want to talk to me too.

Looking forward to chatting with my pops,
Jenna

Tomorrow The One Week Countdown Begins

2009-07-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

This morning Heath gave a great devotional time. It was really inspiring, I’m pretty sure that kid is gonna be a great preacher one day.

After devotional we went back to Modern Primary School. I really love the kids at that school. They are always so excited to see us. We had the same group this time, we sang some songs, played some games, and Brett told the story of Jonah and the whale. The rest of us acted it out in the background. I hate to toot my own horn, but I played a pretty mean whale. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Academy gives me a nod come Oscar time.

After Modern we came home and said bye to Leah. Leah was an absolutely wonderful girl whose passion for the Lord really inspired me. It was really sad to see her go, and the house definitely isn’t going to be the same without her.

After lunch and goodbyes, we went to Clive for a Scripture Union meeting. This time, the students led it, so we sang some songs and then split up into groups and had some discussion questions about what it means to do ministry. It was really great to just sit and talk with the kids. Tomorrow I am speaking for the first time at Clive. I am nervous and excited about it. Pray for me please, speaking isn’t really my strong point!

After Clive we came home for a bit and I took the new people to the bank and the market. It’s weird that I am now so experienced that I take the new people around. Now that Jen and Leah left today, I have been here the longest besides the people that live here. It is nuts.

This evening we went back to the squatter’s house to play with the kids that we visited with last week. They sang us songs and we passed out toys and played with them. We also did a bunch of jump roping. They remembered my name after only a few hours together last time. The effect we have on kids always surprises me. I had a blast.

Today when I said bye to them, I realized we probably won’t be going back there before I leave. It was my last time to see them. Then I realized that tomorrow is the one week countdown. That means that everywhere we go for the rest of the week will be my last time there. Leaving is going to be so depressing.

After we squatter’s we came home and said bye to Jen, ate some dinner, and Heath, Rita, and I went to the market. We also played a bunch of card games tonight.

Admittedly, I didn’t do much work on my paper.

I promise to be better tomorrow,
Jenna

Getting Close To The End

2009-07-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up and went to Sanyu babies home. We were supposed to take Francis back to Katawalma but his case worker lied about him not having an appointment because she was too lazy to take him. She actually flat out refused to take him, and the director of the baby’s home wasn’t there to say anything. It made me really upset. I took some measurements of Francis and his chair myself and I am hoping they will work when I take the chair back on Wednesday.

The rest of the morning I did therapy on the usual kids. I also filled out some paper work on them. The “therapist” that comes to the baby’s home literally does nothing there anymore, I have completely taken over. I’m a little nervous about leaving him with all the kids next week.

After the baby’s home we came home and had some lunch and a planning meeting. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon looking at pictures with the people who were leaving. Kevin, Jen, Jessie, and I also made Kevin and Jessie’s last trip to Chicken Express.

After working on my paper a little bit, Kevin, Jessie, the Emilys, and I left with Ivan and Edith to say goodbye to Kevin, Jessie, and Emily at the airport. It was really really sad to see them go. I actually almost cried at the airport. Leaving next week is going to be so hard.

We also picked up 4 new people at the airport. I haven’t really had a chance to get to know them yet, but they seem nice.

Tomorrow we are going back to Modern Primary School. It should be a great day!

Looking forward to tomorrow,
Jenna

Harry Potter Day!!!!!

2009-07-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a relatively uneventful day. We woke up and went to church at St. Kakuba chapel. We had been there before, and it was pretty much just like being in a typical American church again; however, this time they had a woman guest preacher, and she was a tad bit more entertaining.

After church Kevin, Jen, and I went to chicken express for lunch. Kevin leaves Monday and Jen leaves Tuesday so it was good to talk and hang out with them before they leave. After lunch, I worked on my paper a little bit and then we went to see Harry Potter (hooray!) at Garden City. Heath, Kevin, Tony the Stalker, Emily, Jessie, Amy, Jovan, LaTisha, and I all went and enjoyed the summer movie I have most been looking forward to. Overall, I really like it, although I was a bit disappointed about some of the stuff they cut out from the book. We got some ice cream before we headed home. It was another great outing.

After we got back, Kevin, Heath, Emily, and I weren’t big fans of dinner, so we went to Chili’s to get something to eat. We ended up having a great conversation about girls and guys and relationships. It was one of my favorite meals so far in Uganda.

I am spending the rest of the night working on my paper. I am slowly but surely making progress. My goal is to finish by Friday, so cross your fingers.

Tomorrow, Jessie, Ty, Natalie, Kevin, and Emily leave. 5 new people are coming, but I am really going to miss the people that are going.

Tomorrow is gonna be a sad day,
Jenna

Second Luwero Trip

2009-07-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

This morning things got off to a rough start. Emily and I woke up early and went to the super market to get some food and candy for our sponsor kids and their families. I also got some underwear and hygiene stuff for Moses to take home with him. The first super market we went to was closed, so we had to walk down to one further down the street. I also wanted to get Moses some clothes so he wouldn’t have to wear the Remand uniform home, but unfortunately, only the first supermarket has clothes.

As it turns out, it didn’t end up mattering.

Once Francis, Emily, and I got to Remand home, we found Moses dressed and ready to go and super excited about going home. I have never seen him smile bigger. We went to talk to the head warden about him leaving and she said that she needed to talk to the warden that we talked to on Thursday. She called him, and when she called, the man totally changed his story.

He said that Moses couldn’t leave because his case requires “resettling” which means that the Magistrate in charge of his case requires that paperwork be filled out and signed by the chairman of his village and turned back into him before he leaves. It is the government’s way of ensuring that the kids are going home to a decent environment.

They haven’t yet taken care of his paperwork.

So then, I asked for the paperwork and offered to find the chairman today and get him to sign the papers so that Moses could go home once I turned the papers back in.

They haven’t even started filling out his paperwork.

So then I said we could wait for them to fill the paperwork out and I didn’t really care how long it took.

They don’t even have a copy of the required paperwork in the office.

At this point, I got really upset. Moses got released the Thursday before we went to Luwero. That’s close to a month ago. I told the woman that in America keeping someone in prison a month after their release date is very much against the law. She told me that it was because the van has been broken down.

I kindly informed her that the van has nothing to do with the paperwork. She promised it would be done on Monday. I told her I would be checking in on Thursday when I came. Francis said that when white people take an interest in the case, it usually helps. I’m hoping that this, added in with how clearly upset I was will help.

Then came the worst part came when we had to tell Moses that he wasn’t going home. Francis was speaking to him in Luganda, but you could tell that whatever Moses was saying, he was really upset. Francis told me later that he was begging to go home. He also promised to behave and go to school everyday if we would take him home. He said all he wanted to do was sleep in his bed and hug his parents. He also started crying. Which made me start crying. Francis explained to him that it wasn’t in our control and that we were going to keep doing whatever it took to get him home and I gave him the stuff I had bought for him, but I don’t think it made him feel better.

I think it probably takes an awful lot to make a 17 year old boy who has spent the last 5 months in prison cry.

Watching Moses cry made me feel like the worst person in the world. I have never felt so bad about disappointing someone. His face and the sadness and urgency and pleading in his voice broke my heart. It was awful.

After leaving Remand home we went to the taxi park and caught a taxi to Luwero. It was about and hour and a half drive and I slept and read the whole way. Once we arrived at the primary school, we talked to the headmistress for a while, and then rode boda bodas to Emily’s sponsor kid’s (Lydia) house. Emily gave her a cute stuffed animal, some candy, a Bible and some food. We talked with her family for a bit, took a tour of their house, and prayed for them. It was really a lot of fun.

After Lydia’s house we went back to the school and got the headmistress and she came with us to Jovan’s house. Visiting Jovan’s house was so awesome! The second we got there his mom started hugging us and telling us thank you and being so nice and friendly. I gave Jovan a soccer ball and a Bible, and his family rice and beans and some candy. We talked for a while, took a tour of the house, met Jovan’s dog, Fix, and prayed for the family. As we were leaving they gave us about 20 pieces of maze and some special Ugandan food that looks and tastes like bitter grapes. It was such a wonderful experience.

When we were taking a tour of Jovan’s house, we realized that Jovan, his 8 brothers and sisters, and his mom and dad all share 2 mattresses on the floor of a room that might be 8 feet by 8 feet. They also don’t have any mosquito nets. This week Francis and I are going to go buy his family a new mattress, a mosquito net, and a new set of clothes and shoes for Jovan. The shoes he his now have bottoms that are almost completely detached!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to meet Rosemary’s family. Rosemary’s family lives in a village about 20 minutes away. Her home life is also so bad that she has been living with the headmistress (who is a family friend) at the school for about a month now. I did get to play with her and give her a doll and a Bible. I am also going to get her a new dress and some shoes. Rosemary doesn’t have any shoes at all, and today she was wearing the exact same dress that she was wearing when I first met her. As it turns out, it’s the only one she owns.

After hanging out with Rosemary we went and walked to one of the family’s homes that we built the goat sheds for. Brett had bought them a Bible, so we went to deliver it.

After that, we headed back to Kampala.

On a side note, we saw Sirius again, and he totally remembered me and again followed me every where while we were at the school. It made me smile.

Once we got back to Kampala Francis had to go to band practice because he drums for his church. We got to meet his pastor and talk to him for a little while (he LOVES to talk!) we also got to hear the church band play, which was cool.

We then headed back to the house. I ate some dinner and spent the rest of the night working on my paper.

Tomorrow after church we are going to see Harry Potter!!!! I am SO excited!!!

Hooray for Harry!
Jenna

Luwero is Tomorrow

2009-07-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up really early and went to Kyambogo Primary School. We spilt up into 2 groups and sang songs and presented a message. My group was with the younger kids. We sang a bunch of songs and Rachel told the story of David and Goliath. I’ll don’t think I’ll ever get tired of how cute the kids look in uniforms, or how much more behaved they are when compared to American kids.

After the school we went to Kids In Need. We were supposed to be repainting all of their walls and fences so the vans dropped us off at Kids In Need and then we waited for a few of the Ugandans to go and pick up paint and brushes. And we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. For close to 3 hours.

As it turns out, the van broke down on the way to get paint. So we spent most of the morning playing with kids. I played a lot of card games with them, and I even learned the African version of checkers and how to play an African card game.

By the time the paint arrived, it was time to eat lunch. We painted a little and didn’t get very much done, so I am hoping that we go back next week to finish. I hate telling someone we are going to do something and then not following through.

After we painted for a while, we presented a program to the kids. While everyone else was doing the program, Emily, Francis, Brett and I finished up the painting and then Helen, Shawna, and I did some more face painting. Today I painted a boy (who we nicknamed Sneaky Pete) with a tiger face and then I let Helen paint my face to match. It itched, but it did make for some cute pictures.

After kids in need we went and played basketball game against a secondary school. We got creamed, Emily, Diana, Edith, Amy, and I just sat and cheered the whole time. It was relatively boring.

After the game we came home and cleaned up and headed downtown to celebrate Emily’s last night with everyone (Brett, Andrew, and Katie are leaving for safari tomorrow). We went to a place called Steers and had some really good burgers and ice cream.

Unfortunately, the evening was kind of ruined. While we were on our way out, a street child was hit by a car. The car then drove away. The child was killed. We watched it happen. Then we watched as everyone just stood and stared while a doctor tried to help her.

It was like they were putting on some kind of show for everyone.

Everyone just walked by and stared and made snide comments like it was nothing. Children are literally expendable here, and street children even more so. No one even cared.

It made me sick to my stomach.

I tried not to cry the whole way home. I had to read all the letters and cards and notes that you guys gave me to make me feel better.

Needless to say, this event put me in a damper mood. I spent the rest of the evening reading in my Bible and writing e-mails.

In other, happier news, my foot is looking much better, and tomorrow we are going to Luwero! I’m really excited about tomorrow.

Hoping things are looking up tomorrow,
Jenna

Marshmallow Fun

2009-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up really early and talked to my family on Skype for a while. It took a while to get the internet to work, but once I did we got to talk for about 30 minutes. It was really nice to catch up with them and now that we have figured out how to work it and I am getting up early to work on my paper we plan on talking a bit more often. Good thing we figured it all out when I only have 2 weeks left.

By the time we had finished talking it too late to go back to bed so I worked on my paper for a while before heading to Sanyu. I was really excited to go over there and see Francis in his chair. Unfortunately, he was still a little sick from last week and cried almost the entire time, so he didn’t spend very long in it. It is also in need of some adjustments, so Amanda and I are going to take him back to Katawalma on Monday.

I did the usual therapy stuff on Anita, Francis, Moses, Godwin, John, and Esther. I also changed some sheets, sorted beans, and helped the nurses dressed the kids for the day. It was a pretty uneventful day with the exception of one encounter with a woman from Canada.

I had just finished therapy with Francis and a nurse had just brought me John so I could start therapy on him, and Francis had missed snack time, so the Canadian woman was bringing him his bottle. I asked her if she would mind feeding Francis so that I could start therapy on John to which she responded,

“I don’t want to deal with that.” In case you’re wondering, the “that” she was referring to was Francis. She also looked at him like he had some sort of contagious disease.

She made me sick to my stomach.

After Sanyu I came home and ate some lunch and took a much needed nap before we went over to Remand home. At Remand home we did the usual. Nathan did a really good job of sharing and the worship was absolutely incredible. The kids got so into it, it was nuts in there, and I loved it.

I also have some really really great news! Today I talked to Moses about why he was still at Remand, because he was supposed to get out 2 weeks ago. He told me that it was because no one has come to get him and he has no money to get home. Colin said that sometimes the parents don’t know that their kids have been released, or they don’t care. I’m sure you’re wondering why this is great news, so let me tell you the next part: Moses lives in Luwero!

Which is where we are going on Saturday to visit my sponsor kids.

What a God thing that my sponsor kids are from there and that we are going there this Saturday. God is so smart!

Anyways, after making this discovery, Colin and I talked to the warden and got the clearance for me to take Moses home when Francis, Emily and I go to Luwero to visit the sponsor kids on Saturday. I am so excited that I am going to be able to do this for him!

Colin also said that this will be good because if his parents haven’t come to get him because they are still upset with him, we can help to talk with them and mediate the situation. I also plan on getting him some clothes and basic hygiene things to take home with him. Saturday is going to be a great day!

Once we got home I helped John with dinner and went to the market. After dinner I went to Edith’s house and milked her family’s cow.

It was an interesting experience. I am really bad at it. It was hard to get milk to come out, and most of it got on my hands when I did get some out, but it was still fun.

After I worked on my paper some, Emily and I went and got some great popcorn so that we could have something to enjoy during share time.

Tonight we made a campfire and just shared testimonies and what God has been showing us while we have been here. A lot of people are leaving on Monday and Tuesday so we really wanted to have an opportunity to sit around and talk. A bunch of people shared and it was really interesting and moving to here everyone’s stories and figure out more of where they are coming from.

After campfire time, Kevin and I played a really intense game of “throw the marshmallow into Jenna’s mouth”. We almost broke an ironing board, I might have gotten a black eye from a marshmallow, and I ate some really dirty marshmallows, but other than I had a blast.

Tonight was just a really great night of fellow shipping with everyone and I am really thankful to God that I got the chance to experience it.

Probably going to get polio from the black marshmallows I ingested,
Jenna

P.S. My mom told me a lot of you guys have been concerned about my foot. Today the green is almost gone, the redness and swelling is going down, and the hole in my foot has really gone down in size. Thank you guys for all the prayers!

Cheesy Christian Comment Day

2009-07-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today marks my 2 week countdown day. It is really very sad. I can’t believe that my time here is going so fast!

This morning my foot continued to look the same, but it’s a bit less painful, so I think that’s a good sign.

We went back to Katawalma today and I got to meet a lot of the other therapists at the hospital. Karen was also there, and today when we were talking we discovered that we arrived on the same day, and are leaving on the same day, but we don’t have any of the same flights, which is disappointing, because I really like her.

I spent the first part of the morning trying to comfort a little girl named Veronica who didn’t like being touched or talked to by any of the therapists or doctors. This was understandably so, as she had just had both legs amputated 3 weeks ago and was now in the process of learning to use her prosthesis. I would probably not want people who had been involved in removing my legs touching me either.

After Veronica, I worked with Samson again. His chair was still not ready, but he was able to use his hand some. Unfortunately, he was out of pain pills so he spent most of the session crying. Listening to Samson cry is one of the most awful things I have ever had to listen to. It literally breaks my heart every time. I am pretty sure part of Hell involves listening to Samson cry out in pain.

After Samson, I went and checked on Francis’ chair, which was still not done, so I stayed in the room and helped Fred finish up. We still didn’t completely finish, because we needed Francis for it, and I ended up making part of the group late in leaving, but I got the chair, and it looks pretty good. I am excited to see Francis in it tomorrow.

Afterwards, we came home and rested for a bit and then went back to Clive College to do our usual thing. Jen led worship, Tara gave a great lesson and then we spent the rest of the time just talking with the kids, which is one of my favorite things to do. I’m sad next week will be my last week with them.

After Clive we came home for a little while, Kevin and I went and checked out some soccer jerseys, and then we went to the Uganda School of the Deaf, which is literally a 5 minute walk from our house.

It was so much fun! We made bracelets and passed out stickers and played duck, duck, goose and soccer. It was also really fun to use the little sign language I know to communicate with them. It made the kids really happy to have someone besides their classmates to talk to. I really hope we go back again before I leave because I loved it.

Tonight we watched some movies and I worked on my paper. I’m moving along slowly but surely on it.

I also got a package in the mail today! My friend Laura sent me some sunscreen, headbands, eye drops, and bobby pins in the mail a while back (June 11th to be exact) and it finally came today. It was so awesome to get something from home. Thanks for being such an awesome friend Laura!

In other news, Cheesy Christian Comment Day was excellent. We are probably going to do it another day before I leave.

In honor of Cheesy Christian Comment Day:

I’m not writing this blog, it’s the Holy Spirit writing this blog through me,
Jenna

God Taught Me a Lesson Today, And A Cool One At That

2009-07-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up and went to a primary school called Modern school. It was one of the nicer schools we have been too. It had 3 stories and a canteen that students could purchase food from. Our entire group went to the school, but then we spilt into our 3 groups and went to different classes. My group did the primary 1-3 kids, so they were around 6 to 8 years old. Kevin and I led worship, we played some games, I read the story of Daniel and the lion’s den and then we passed out pencils, erasers, and sharpeners. The kids listened relatively well and I think they had a good time so it was a successful morning.

In other news this morning I woke up to find my foot to be redder and more painful than yesterday, so Jessie and I decided I should go to the doctor. After eating lunch and saying goodbye to Gabby who left today, Rita and I headed to The Surgery Clinic to get it looked at while everyone else went to Scripture Unions.

It was definitely an interesting experience. The doctor asked me a few questions, poked around at my wound (without gloves or washing his hands) and confirmed that my wound was in fact infected. I’m sure glad he went to medical for that.

Afterwards he recommended that I take an antibiotic and I informed him that I am allergic to penicillin to which he responded, “Oh, well it’s probably not that important that you take them.” I then proceeded to insist that I did, in fact, need an antibiotic and to inform him that there are types of antibiotics that do not have penicillin in them to which he responded, “Oh, I know, but they are in the room next door.” I volunteered to go and get them if needed, so then he went next door and got the necessary medication. He then sent me upstairs to have the nurses clean my foot.

The nurse squeezed and drained it similar to the way Jessie did yesterday, only today it was much more painful. She also rinsed my wound with water (tap water) and then put some gauze on it and told me not to change the bandage for a week so as “not to disrupt the healing”. All of her cleaning was also done without gloves or hand washing.

I’m supposed to go back in 2 days if it’s not looking better. In case you’re wondering, this was an international clinic and is supposed to be one of the best medical places Kampala has to offer. Awesome.

After the clinic I came home and waited for everyone to come home from the secondary school that I missed. We hung out at the house for a little while and then we went to a nearby squatter’s neighborhood to do some door to door evangelism.

You know how sometimes you like to think you know every thing and then God makes you realize that you don’t? That happened to me at the squatter’s neighborhood. When we arrived, we realized that we had about 20 white people and only 2 Ugandans, so being the super positive person I am, I immediately assumed that our adventure wasn’t going to work and was going to be a huge failure.

We spilt up into 2 groups of 10 people and went to different parts of the neighborhood. Then, at every house half of our group would go into the house and the other half would stay outside. The first house we went to, British Amy (as opposed to the other Amy, Irish Amy), Heath, Steph, and I waited outside. While we were waiting, I had a slightly inappropriate slip of the tongue that I can’t post on here but I’ll tell you about if you ask.

I don’t really know what went on in the house, but everyone who went inside said it went really great. Also, Nathan made the kids balloon animals and they loved it.

The second house is when God really taught me a lesson. Heath, Amy, Steph, Colin and I met a Muslim man who had 3 wives. We thought we were originally just going to talk to him for a little while and he just randomly came out and told us that he loved that we were coming by and encouraging him. He also mentioned that he had never been visited by Muslims, but that in the last couple of weeks he had been visited by Christians twice. After talking with him about Jesus and Christianity for a while, he told us he was ready to give his life to Christ!

We prayed with him right there and gave him some contact information for a local church. It was such an incredible experience and I was so happy God let me be a part of it! I love when God teaches me lessons.

After we visited one more house (the other group went in) we had to head home. After dinner and a trip to the market for some ice cream, we just sat around outside and talked because the electricity was out. I had a great time talking with Emily and Heath. We spent a lot of time making fun of cheesy Christians and my slip up from earlier in the day. We also decided that tomorrow would be Cheesy Christian day, which is a day involving saying tons of Cheesy Christian things.

It started off well tonight with Emily making a reference to me showering being similar to me being washed in the Living Water.

I was supposed to online video chat with my parents and Ally tomorrow morning but the electricity being out means no internet.

In other news, my foot looks about the same, but it hasn’t gotten any worse, so that’s a good sign.

Enjoying Another Day,
Jenna

Just Another Day In Paradise

2009-07-13T12:20:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up and went to Nsambia. Today is Tommy’s last day in Uganda and he wanted to go to Nsambia and he needed at least 8 people that wanted to go before the ministry would let him use a van. I sacrificed my love of Sanyu to go there for the day, especially since I hadn’t seen it yet.

Nsambia lets you play with and hold the kids more than at Sanyu, so we started off the morning playing with the little kids. After playing for a little while I went to the ICU. There were 2 babies in there. One was a little 5 month old girl who had HIV and some terrible wounds that weren’t healing. She just cried and cried and cried the entire morning until Amy came in a little while later and held her. It broke my heart.

The other little baby is why I went in there. Diana had told me about a 10 month old baby named Scholastica who couldn’t yet sit up and seemed a lot like Francis. Unfortunately, she wasn’t. I couldn’t ever really figure out what was wrong with the little girl. She cried a really painful sounding cry, constantly had tremors, and had really tight muscles whenever she was upset or moved. It almost seemed like she was having mini seizures every 30 minutes or so. I had Jessie and Amy come look at her as well but there wasn’t anything we could come up with. The nurses also didn’t speak enough English to tell us anything about her. I finally just sang to her and held her to comfort her because there wasn’t anything I could do for her.

We played with the kids for a little while before we left and then we came back home. While we were waiting for lunch to get ready, Brett and a new boy named Heath and I went to the market to exchange money and get a snack. I also tried to get some first aid stuff for my foot. I found out that first aid stuff doesn’t really exist in Uganda.

After lunch we had a planning meeting and song practice and then I spent some time working on my paper. Jessie also did some work on my foot. She drained it, and squeezed it, and pulled out some of the infection with tweezers. It hurt, but not as much as I expected it to. The infection is much deeper than I thought. I probably have a pit about a 1/4th of an inch deep in my foot. We also marked the red area with a pen. If the redness spreads any, or if any of the green comes back, I’m going to go to the doctor tomorrow. Jessie says that if worst comes to worse, the doctor will cut out the infection and stitch up the hole it makes. I’m not a big fan of this idea, so your prayers would be appreciated.

After having pancakes for dinner, Kevin, Tommy, Jen, Diana, and I went to take Tommy to the airport to go home. It was a good ride. We finally called the “Get Magic” number we have seen on signs around town. As it turns out, its a rip off. How surprising. It was, however, really sad to see Tommy go.

Once we got back I worked on my paper. I’m still not anywhere close to be done, but I am much closer than I was yesterday!

Being a good student,
Jenna

Sunday in One of My Favorite Villages

2009-07-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Kyampisi again for service. Kyampisi is the village we started building the school at and the church I went to the first weekend I was here in Uganda. I love Kyampisi. It’s without a doubt my favorite place to go to church here in Africa. The people are so friendly and loving and open.

This morning I ran Sunday school. I had asked if I could help, and last minute Cockroach (Robert, a Ugandan) asked if I would run the whole thing, so this morning about 30 minutes before we left I went into the office and grabbed some stuff and made up a lesson.

When we got there we sang some songs and listened to Kevin speak for a while. He did a really great job. He had to talk for almost 30 minutes and it was his first time to do such a long talk. I was really impressed. After he talked we sang a few more songs and then I took the kids outside for Sunday school. The Emilys, Brett, and Rachel also helped me.

We played a bunch of African games, sang some songs, and then I told the story about Joseph having dreams that I did from the primary school last week. Afterwards we colored pictures of our favorite dreams. My favorite little girl told us about a dream where she worked as a night dancer, the Ugandan version of a stripper. It cracked me up.

After we had been doing Sunday school for close to 2 hours, I was pretty much out of activities and we still had 30 more minutes. We played a few more games, and then it got hot so we just sat in the shade with the kids for a while and passed out some toys and stickers.

After Sunday school we went and looked at the school that we started building the last time we were in the village. Empower A Child and the church offering paid for workers to finish it and it looked so good! 30 kids are already attending school there. It feels really good to know that our hard work paid off.
We then went to the same church member’s house that we went to last time and had lunch. It was just as good as last time. After eating we played with kids for a little while before heading out.

On the way home we stopped at 2 family’s houses and gave them coffee seedlings. John had paid for 2 of the families to get the coffee seedlings so that they could have a source of income. We delivered the seedlings and prayed for the families and then we headed back to Kampala.

Once we arrived in Kampala we decided to do Rolexes (Ugandan version of the breakfast burrito) for dinner. We found a stand on the side of the road and ordered 40 which took about an hour and a half. Emily, Katie, Amy, Brett, Jovan, Jessie, LaTisha, and I had a great time just sitting around and talking while we were waiting. I had a great talk with Jessie about life and relationships and I’m really glad I went with everyone to wait.

After we got back, I took a look at Nathan’s hand. Nathan is the married guy that came in last week. He broke his thumb joint (called a Bennett fracture) while he was in Kosovo. The doctor put an easily removable cast on it, and it was ready to be removed. We took it off and looked at his X-rays, and we talked about what I am going to do therapy wise on his hand. Tomorrow we are going to make him a soft cast to wear when we aren’t doing therapy and start doing exercises. I had no idea I’d have so many therapy opportunities while I am here!

I also did some more work on my paper tonight. I plan on working really hard on it this week. Hopefully I stick to my commitment.

In other news, the bite on my foot is getting worse. It’s greener and redder and bigger and more painful. Jessie (another nursing student) is going to try and drain it some tomorrow. Say a prayer that it’s successful (and maybe that it doesn’t hurt too badly).

Hoping for healing,
Jenna

The Internet Is Finally Working!

2009-07-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a really laid back day. I woke up and went with a small group of people to Green Village Secondary school. They were having a party to celebrate the transitioning of new officers of their Scripture Union. The party was supposed to start at 9 which is when we arrived, but it didn’t actually start until about 11. We just sat around and sang songs and talked to kids until then. The rest of the party consisted of different groups of kids singing songs. We also sang a few songs for them. The singing went on for close to 2 hours, and I needed to get home to work on my paper, so me, Shawna, Colin, and Leah left right before they were about to serve lunch.

Shawna and I rode a boda boda back to the house. I am getting pretty used to those things.

Once we got back to the house we ate some lunch and I worked on my paper for a bit. I also got Tony (a Ugandan and a computer genius) to work on my computer. It’s been acting a little weird lately, so I really hope to stays intact until my project gets finished (yours prayers in this matter would be much appreciated).

After a while, a large group of people went to the craft market, but Kevin and I wanted to wait for Tommy to get back to the house from golfing because we didn’t want to go without him, so we hung out at the house until he got home and then the 3 of us and Ivan and Jovan headed to the craft market.

At the craft market I got a few more presents, a doll for my sponsor girl, and a beautiful photo book of pictures from around Uganda and Kampala. I met the woman who took a few of the pictures, she was super nice and I was really happy that I got it.

After the craft market we went to a sports shop so the boys could get more soccer jerseys. I also got a soccer ball for my sponsor boy. After that we got something to eat at a place called Antonio’s. It wasn’t very good.

Afterwards we came home and watched Beauty and the Beast (my favorite Disney movie). I also did a little work on my paper.

Because today’s entry is so short, I’m including a special surprise for you. A few days ago, my friend Laura sent me a few questions about life in Uganda. The following is her questions and my answers. Enjoy!

Do people have pets like dogs and cats in Africa?

Yes, I think people do. The super market has a small pet supply section, so someone somewhere does, but I have yet to meet anyone personally who does. I'm assuming most of the people we work with can't really afford pets. There are so a lot of stray dogs on the streets. I haven't seen too many stray cats though.

Is there a police department in place to prevent things like the child sacrifices?

There is a police department, but the police department isn't very good. There is also a lot of corruption. One of the Ugandans told me it is really easy to get out of a traffic ticket by just paying the cops 20,000 shillings ($10) or so. There are hardly any police in the villages which is where the child sacrifices occur, so even though they are illegal, there isn't really much the police can do about them.

Sad fact: when they built the new soccer stadium outside of Kampala, a lot of kids went missing around the time they were pouring the foundation. There are probably a lot of children in the foundation of the soccer stadium.

What religion are the child sacrifices from if any?

People involved in witch craft participate in child sacrifices, although the Chinese that moved to Ugandan started the tradition (according to the Ugandans). A lot of people here who are Christian or Muslim also participate in some witch craft. It is a tradition that has been around Africa for centuries and it is hard for some people to let go to their traditions I guess.

On average how many fast food places are there in town?

There are no fast food places that you've heard of here. There are plenty of "Take Aways" which is what they call them here. A lot of restaurants also offer a take away services. You can get almost anything on take away: chicken, french fries (called chips here), Indian food, Ugandan food, pizza. I don't eat from Take Aways that often because there is always food at the house but I have a feeling come the end of July when I am super sick of rice and beans I'll be taking advantage of them more often.

Do any of the children you have seen have HIV, I mean is it like rampant or not so much?

So far, I have only seen one baby at the baby's home who I knew for sure had HIV. There is also a girl on Sponsorship who one of the girls in room went and visited on Friday who has it. But, I'm pretty sure there are more than the ones I know of for sure. "Do you have HIV?" isn't a common question to come up in conversation. But, Uganda is one of the countries in Africa working very hard to reduce their rates of HIV, so that could be some of it.

Have you seen any turtles in Africa?

I have not seen any turtles yet. Turtles aren't very big here.

Let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them!

Enjoying the Laid Back Day,
Jenna

Yesterday Again

2009-07-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

I didn’t make it through Braveheart last night. I fell asleep with about 30 minutes left. Maybe one day in my lifetime I’ll finally finish that movie.

This morning I woke up early with the intention of working on my paper only to discover that the internet wasn’t working. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I spent some time in the Bible and in prayer. It was a great start to the day.

After devotions and a planning meeting we headed to a local slum to visit with and evangelize to the families living there. We spilt up into small groups and walked around the houses. My group consisted of me, Emily, Tommy, and Jeff (a Ugandan). We visited with 3 different families.

The first family was a man and a wife with 7 kids. The man was the only person in the family that works. He and his wife were having a hard time paying for school fees for all of their children. In fact, the youngest 2 haven’t started school because they can only afford to send the 5 oldest children. We prayed with them and took their names and phone number. Hopefully, we will be able to put some of the kids on the Empower A Child sponsorship list.

The next guy we talked to was a single 24 year old guy. He works as a barber at a local shop. He told us about how he was a Muslim until about 2 years ago. He accepted Christ but afterwards he didn’t really do anything with it. We talked to him to him about living his life for Christ and he recommitted his life to Christ. We also introduced him to a Ugandan named Ivan who goes to a church near his house. We also gave him Ivan’s phone number so hopefully he will get connected to the local church.

The final family we talked to was a brother and sister whose were keeping the house for the 3 older brothers while they are serving the army. They are both Christians so it was nice to talk to them and pray with them and encourage them.

After the morning we went home and had some lunch and then went to Kids In Need. We played games, sang some songs, and then John performed a song he wrote and Jeff spoke. I didn’t listen to that part though because during the singing and speaking Leah and I took the smaller kids outside and did face paint with them. One of my professors at school donated a face painting kit and I was excited to finally have the chance to use it. The kids absolutely loved it and it was so much fun!

After we got back I got caught up on my blog and e-mails. Tommy also went with Ivan back to the slum and visited the family of 7 that we met this morning. He decided to sponsor the older of the 2 younger kids (the ones that aren’t attending school). He said that the kids were going nuts and the parents were super happy. We also made sure that the younger one got put on the waiting list. I’m so glad we got to help them out.

I know I keep talking about this, but if you want to sponsor the youngest girl from the family we met this morning or any of the other 100 or so children on the Empower A Child waiting list let me know. Next weekend, Francis is taking me back to Luwero to meet my 2 sponsor children. If you want to pick up a sponsor child from Luwero, I’ll be able to take them a few presents next weekend. It only costs 30 dollars a month and it will make a huge difference in the life of a child and their families.

Later tonight I plan on working on my paper and watching The Emperor’s New Groove with everyone. It’s going to be a really relaxed night and weekend, which is good because I feel like my body has been going non stop all week.

Lastly, I have a few prayer requests for you guys:

1. My body has been really tired lately. This is partly because I’ve been getting up early to work on my paper and partly because I have been really pouring myself into all the ministries lately because I know my time here is going to end soon. I get sick really easily when I get tired, so pray for energy and strength and for my body to stay healthy.
2. I have some kind of infection on my foot. The Ugandans are convinced that it’s a boil that I got from making mud in Luwero. Amy (a nursing student) thinks it’s a bug bite that has gotten infected. It’s pretty swollen and has a lot of pus (sorry for the gross details). I have never had a boil before so I’m not really sure what it is. All I know is that it hurts, especially when I walk and take shoes on and off. Additionally, the Ugandans tell me that if it is a boil then I’m going to have to drain it and since it hurts to touch it, I’m not really looking forward to that. Please pray for healing (without having to drain it preferably)
3. Finally, I got news today that my Great Uncle Bubba passed away from Alzheimer’s on July 1st. News travels slow here. Anyways, I ask that you would pray for my family as they deal with loss. His body was basically shutting down and he is in a better place now, but losing a family member is always hard. My mom tells me that my Grandma Betty is taking the loss of her brother pretty hard, so please pray specifically for her, my Aunt Janice (Bubba’s wife) and their children and grandchildren.

Grandma Betty and Aunt Janice know that I love you and I’m praying for you!

Thanks in advance for the prayers guys,
Jenna

Yesterday Because The Internet Was Out

2009-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

This morning we got up early and headed to Sanyu baby’s home. When we got there, I discovered that Francis was sick. He had a fever and had thrown up in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, Francis can not turn his head or roll over, so his face sat in his pool of vomit for most of the night. I was really disappointed to discover that no one had changed his sheets or cleaned him up during the night. Children with disabilities always get the short end of the stick here.

Elias the therapist didn’t show up at all today, so I got to do therapy however I wanted all morning. It was wonderful. Anita, one of the babies I have been working with, sat up by herself today. Additionally, a little girl named Martha took a few steps independently. These are things I have been working on since I arrived and it felt so good to finally see the work I’ve been putting in with the children pay off. The only bad part of the morning was that I wasn’t able to see all the kids because I ran out of time. It’s hard to see 8 kids in 2 and a half hours without someone there helping you.

After Sanyu we came home and had a quick lunch. I also took a quick but much needed nap and afterwards we headed to Remand home. Today we sang songs and played games and then Leah spoke to the boys on sexual immorality. She shared her testimony about her sexual past with close to 50 teenage boys and girls. It took a lot of guts and I really admired her strength. She did a really great job. Afterwards, she let a few people share their testimonies. A few of the volunteers shared about being raped or sexually assaulted. Only one of the teenagers shared. She told us all about a man trying to sexually assault her and beating her up and stealing her stuff. She then stabbed the man for self protection and was sent to Remand home. While there she became a Christian and is now going home in the next week. It was a really sad and at the same time inspiring story. She had such strength. There is no way I was that mature or strong at 17.

We didn’t get a chance to talk to the boys in small groups like we usually do. I saw that Moses was still at the home, but I wasn’t able to ask him why. Hopefully I’ll be able to talk to him next week.

After Remand home we came home, went to the market, got some Somosas, and played some card games. Also, while we were at the market, Tommy, Brett, and I discovered a small movie theater in the basement of the shopping center. By discovered I mean we saw posters for it and tried to find it. We were able to find a few movie posters and a piece of paper with movie times written on it. We tried to find the actual theater but whenever we asked people they told us somewhere wrong or didn’t understand our English and responded with things like “How are you?” and “The bank is closed”. I say all this to tell you that I am determined to find the theater and see the new Harry Potter movie when it comes out. Currently, I won’t be able to see it until the weekend after it comes out because we would have to go into town, but if it’s going to be playing across the street, you can bet I’ll be there opening night.

After dinner, we watched Braveheart. Tommy is Scottish and was shocked to discover I’ve never seen it. He has been asking to watch it since he has been here so a group of us watched it tonight. By watched it I mean we are watching it as I type. So far, I like it, but it is outrageously violent.

Committed to Braveheart for the next 3 hours,
Jenna

A Day Full Of Adventures

2009-07-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

This morning we had devotions on love and loving one another even when we are wronged. It was interesting. We talked about how when Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, he also washed the feet of Judas, knowing that Judas would soon betray him. That is so incredible to me. I have such a hard time forgiving the simplest things sometimes. I don’t know how I would ever humble myself to that level to someone who had been so cruel to me.

After devotions we headed to Katawalma. Francis’ chair was not ready and neither were a few therapy rolls and wedges I ordered for the therapy room at Sanyu. To be honest, I was a little upset, and I let them know (in as nice a way as possible of course). I am paying significantly more than the average customer for the items and I was promised on multiple occasions that everything would be done before today. They swore to me that everything will be done next Wednesday, and Amanda said she would call and “have a chat” with them tomorrow as well, so hopefully everything will be taken care of.

After dealing with the orthopedic shop, I headed to the physiotherapy room to help Karen, the same physical therapist that I worked with last week. This morning, all of the nurses were gone, so Karen was in charge of wound cleaning. I helped her with it some, we mostly just changed bandages on surgery incisions, but then Sansom from last week came in and needed to be treated. Since Karen couldn’t abandon the long line of children waiting to have their wounds cleaned, she asked me to do his treatment on my own. It was a bit overwhelming at first. And by a bit I mean hugely overwhelming. I was really nervous at first, but after about 5 minutes, I started to feel a lot better about it.

I officially did my first therapy session from beginning to end all on my own!

I think it went relatively well. Also, because I was by myself, I was able to sneak a picture of Sansom. It’s going to break your heart. The good news is that Sansom was able to use one of his hands to partially grip a few large beads. I know this sounds like nothing, but it’s actually huge. Karin and I are going to work on getting him to release items as well. Hopefully eventually he will have functional use of his hand. His chair will also be ready next week which will have a huge effect on Sansom and his parent’s lives. Right now, his parents carry him around everywhere!

After Sansom I treated a 2 month old little boy named Ryan who had Erb’s Palsy. Erb’s Palsy is an injury usually obtained during birth (as in Ryan’s case) from the doctor pulling too hard on the baby’s arm to remove the child from the birth canal. This pulling causes the axillary nerves in the armpit to tear, resulting in a loss of sensory and motor function in the arm. This actually happens to a lot of children in 3rd world countries, but most don’t receive treatment right away, which results in poor use of the arm later in life. Ryan has a significantly better outcome than most babies because he is being treated early. I am really excited to work with him again next week.

After we got back from the hospital we had about 10 minutes before we had to leave to go to Clive College for another Scripture Union. I coordinated, Kevin spoke, we sang songs, and did a skit. The skit had no meaning and was just supposed to be funny, which really confused the students. They were all asking us the spiritual meaning behind it. Other than that though, it went really well.

We had a really late lunch after we got back and Tommy and I were on dishes duty again. After finishing dishes, we had an evaluation meeting to evaluate the missions to Gulu and Luwero. It was long and boring.

In a strong bit of irony, our security guard, Rocky got arrested last week for stealing a phone. He is not really a thief, but his friend owed him money so he took his phone as collateral. The friend then pressed charges. Rocky has been in jail for the last few days. Today he finally got out and it was really great to have him back. He told us some stuff about his experience. He slept on concrete and only got one meal a day. They didn’t even feed him at all the first two days he was in prison!

After the meeting and talking to Rocky, Tommy, Kevin, Andrew, Brett, Amy, and I headed downtown to walk around for a little bit. It was the first time I have gone any where in Uganda without a Ugandan with me, but we held own on very well. Kevin is really good at getting around the city. We stopped at a sports shop to get Ugandan national team jerseys. I was able to find a youth size that fit me and the guy gave me 10,000 shillings off.

We also went to a pizza place called Dominos. We had pizza and milkshakes that were so good. It was almost like being at home! It was absolutely wonderful. It was also a lot of fun to hang out with everyone. Its weird that I’ve only been around these people a month (or a week for some) but it feels like I’ve know them for a large majority of my life.

On the way home our taxi broke down trying to go up the hill. The driver tried to drop the transmission four or five times, and the taxi kept on stalling out and rolling backwards down the hill. Brett and I couldn’t stop giggling about the situation and we were really annoying everyone. The driver finally made us (us as in everyone on the van not just Brett and I for annoying everyone) get out and pay him half of the fee that he quoted us. We were stuck on the side of the road for a bit before we stumbled upon a driver with an empty taxi. We told him what happened and asked us him if he would take us the rest of the way home for 300 shillings as a joke (the regular rate would have been 500). He laughed and said he would charge us 100 if we sang to him the entire way. So we did, and he sang along, and it was awesome.

When we got out, he didn’t charge us any fare at all. What a great adventure!

Tommy and I had to do dinner dishes before I watched Aladdin. I also finally started on my paper today for school. And by started I mean I wrote a 5 sentence introduction. At that rate I’ll finish around Christmas. I’m going get serious about it for real this weekend. I promise.

I solemnly swear to work on my paper this weekend,
Jenna

Titles for These Things Are Difficult

2009-07-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up and had a great devotion time. Rachel passed out 10 shilling coins to everyone and explained how Uganda no longer uses this type of coin and they are worthless. She then talked about how Uganda views most of its children in the same fashion and that everyday is an opportunity to change that. It was short and sweet but it really moved me.

I have been getting frustrated with the fact that I don’t feel like I am having a huge effect on the kid’s lives here. I expected to come in and be this huge life change for them, and whenever we go play with a kid for an afternoon never to see them again, it frustrates me. I realized today that making them feel special for an afternoon is a big enough life change for them. It really changed my attitude on a lot of things.

After devotions we went to Victory Primary School and played games and sang songs with the kids. I also shared the story for the first time. I told the story of Joseph and his brothers and his dreams (check out Genesis 37ish through 46ish) and how we need to forgive people when they are mean to us. I know that’s extremely simplified, but I was talking to 8 to 10 year olds, so it couldn’t be too complicated.

Afterwards we came home and Andrew, Emily, and I went and got lunch at Chicken Express before we headed out to another school, King Solomon Secondary school. We were supposed to be going to another Scripture Union (like FCA in America) during the school’s lunch hour, but when the school found out we were coming, they made the entire student body come out and watch our presentation. This means we were singing, dancing, doing a skit, and sharing the Gospel to a bunch of 14 to 18 year olds who were missing their lunch break to watch us. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. The Scripture Union kids loved it, but the kids of the kids weren’t so impressed. They talked and laughed and made fun of us pretty much the entire time. Benon and I did a skit together and Jen spoke and despite the problems, it went relatively well.

Once we got home we practiced songs for a little while so that the new people could learn the songs we do in Swahili and Luganda. It was also so we could learn them, because there are still quite a few songs where I just make noise and move my lips and pretend like I know what I’m saying.

To be honest, practice didn’t help me much.

After practice, I got a pedicure. There is a 20 something boy who comes by our house and does nails to help pay for school and my feet were revolting, so I let him give me one. My feet literally lost 3 to 4 shades of tan/dirt. They look much better now.

After me and Emily got pedicures, Andrew and Brett wanted to paint our nails for some reason, so we let them. Each one of our nails is a different design and color. It looks interesting to say the least. We promised to keep it on for at least one week. It will be funny to see what the kids think of it this week.

After dinner we all watched P.S. I Love You. It was wonderful. That movie never gets old.

Francis’ chair is supposed to be done tomorrow when we go to the hospital. I’m so excited!

Looking forward to the morning,
Jenna

The First 6 Days of July

2009-07-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

July 1st

I can’t believe my time here is halfway over! The month of June has literally flown by. I can’t believe that in less than a month my time here will be over. This has without a doubt been the fastest month of my life.

In other news, this morning we got to sleep in! We weren’t leaving for Luwero until 3, so Benon moved devotions back to 10. It felt so good to stay in bed until 9:55! During devotions, we broke up into small groups and shared our struggles and prayer requests and then we prayed together. My group was me, Emily, and Colin. It was really nice just to talk with each other and pray together and I really enjoyed it.

The rest of the day the electricity was out so we just hung out at the house waiting for 3 to arrive. Brett, the Emilys, Katie, and I played a bunch of different card games. We also went to the market. We went to a different market then we usually go to, called Good Price. At this market, if you get caught stealing, you have to take off your clothes (leaving on your underwear) and take a picture of yourself holding the things you tried to steal. They then post it on the doorway for everyone to see. It was funny and sad at the same time.

At 2 we packed and loaded up the vans and headed out for Luwero at around 3. The drive was pretty short. We arrived in Luwero at around 5:30, after stopping under a covered gas station for a while because it was raining on all of our stuff. My stuff got a little wet in the rain, but it was alright.

Once we arrived at the primary school we were staying at, we unpacked our stuff, set up our tents and hung out with the kids. We got there after the children had gotten out of school, but all of them stayed around the school so that they could greet us. Some of the kids had gotten out at lunch time and waited at the school for almost 6 hours! They also did a little performance and sang some songs for us, it was so cute!

After setting everything up, we ate some dinner and played with the kids. We also had another dance party around the campfire. The kids danced with us this time, and it was a blast. I hung out with two boys for most of the night. One of them was named Sirius. Actually, his name was Silus, but when he first told me his name I thought he said Sirius, like Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. Since I am obsessed with Harry Potter, I refused to call him anything but Sirius for the rest of the week. Sirius thought it was hilarious, thought I was hilarious, and followed me around like a shadow for the rest of the week. So much so that most of the other people in our group called him Shadow instead of Silus or Sirius. He was one of the cutest four year olds I’ve ever seen.

The other boy I hung out was a boy named Martin, who looked to be about 10. Martin was deaf. I have taken 2 sign language classes, so I know a teeny, tiny bit of American Sign Language. Once Martin figured this out he tried to talk to me a lot in sign language. Unfortunately, American Sign Language is a bit different from Luganda sign language, so I was really only able to tell him everyone’s name and we also made up sign names for everyone. Despite my inability to communicate effectively with him, he seemed to really enjoy it.

Emily and I opted to sleep in the tents again on this trip. There is something about sleeping outdoors that I actually kind of enjoy. This time, we were the only girls sleeping in tents, so we volunteered to take the smallest one. It was a really small two person tent and when I laid all the away out, my head touched one end and my feet touched the other. I have no idea how the boys slept in there during Gulu.

July 2nd

Last night it rained a little. Our tent is a bit less waterproof than it was in Gulu, so our feet got a little wet, but we survived. The school also has lights that turn on automatically at night. The lights we so bright that I woke up several times in the middle of the night and thought it was morning, so needless to say, the sleep I got wasn’t great.

After a quick breakfast we spilt up into 4 groups and went and built goat sheds for four Empower a Child sponsor children’s families. My group’s house was literally right behind the school we were staying at, so it was a quick walk.

Today we cleared out the garden where we were building the shed and dug 6 2 foot deep holes for the main poles We then had to carry the poles and the bamboo sticks for the walls about ½ mile from another building site. After carrying everything, we realized that we didn’t have enough poles or bamboo so we had to go into the jungle and cut down more poles.

I cut some down whole tree branches in the jungle with a machete. I’m pretty sure that makes me ready for some kind of gang battle or mafia showdown.

That last statement probably could not have been further from the truth, but I am pretty sure that my dad would have been pretty proud of how tough I looked.

After our trek though the jungle, we came back and put up the poles and then filled in the holes with rocks and dirt and packed them. After finishing the main frame for the goat shed, we called it a day and headed back to the school.

Tonight when we played with the kids we taught them the hookie pokie and the chicken dance and they loved it. I also gave Sirius my old keep away mosquito bracelet when I changed into a new one. We then had matching bracelets. I’m pretty sure he thought it was the coolest thing ever. He has started following me around so much that he now has a plate prepared for him at every meal because everyone knows he is coming.

I would take him home in a second if I could.

We had another dance party tonight around the campfire and after Sirius had to go home for the night and cleared out my lap another kid fell asleep in my arms. It was the cutest thing ever. I love how trusting and open all the kids here are.

July 3rd

I had another night of restless sleep which wasn’t helped by the 6:30 wake up to go work on the goat sheds again. We first had to put the reeds (which made up the wall) and tie them to the main poles with banana fibers. We then had to fill the reed walls with rocks. Afterwards, we made mud which was a ton of fun.

Making mud consists of digging a hold, getting the dirt wet (from water carried in jerry cans from about ½ mile away) and mixing the dirt with our feet until it turns into pasty mud. Its similar to making wine from grapes, only more dirty and less sticky I imagine.

Afterwards, we mad mud balls and threw them against the wall so that it would stick. It was outrageously messy but outrageously fun. While we were making the walls, Douglas hammered on the roof, and at around 4, our goat shed was finished.

After all the groups had finished their sheds, we went to a local college (high school) to play sports and present the Gospel. As it turns out, the college was a Muslim one, so we got some pretty dirty looks during the presentation, but Kevin did a great job and at least some seeds were planted.

After our songs and presentation we played an actual game of 11 vs 11 soccer against the school’s soccer team. It was my first time to play a real game here versus the usual street soccer. As usual, I was the only girl and as usual everyone was stunned by the fact that a girl was playing football.

For a while, the boys wouldn’t pass to me, which I automatically assumed was because I am a girl. As it turns out, I am retarded because I was wearing the other’s team’s jersey color and never put a penny on. Once that problem was solved the game went pretty well, we lost by 2 to 1. We also had a good time playing volleyball and American football afterwards. I also talked to a boy named Robert for a while about America and school and his plans for the future. He was the same age as me and going to school to be an accountant.

I think before I came to Africa I thought Africans were going to be a lot different from me. More and more I am discovering that we really aren’t that different.

After dinner Emily and I did the dishes, which turned out to be a lot harder without the comforts of a water container and the sink in Kampala.

Or a dishwasher for that matter, but I’m starting to think those don’t exist in Uganda.

After dishes Amanda, Brett, and Emily and I talked about where we are on our walk with God and things we are struggling with. It was a really great talk despite the fact that I almost froze. It was the first time I have been legitimately cold to Africa. We finished our talk by the campfire before heading to bed.

July 4th

This morning we were woken up early by a woman screaming, crying and moaning which I complained about until I discovered that it was because her 14 year old daughter had died in the middle of the night from malaria.

Then I felt outrageously guilty.

I was also heartbroken for the family. While simple malaria medication could have helped her, the family couldn’t afford it, so they went to a witch doctor instead. I’m not saying that it was his fault that he died, but he definitely didn’t help her any.

I know that people die in Africa (and around the world) every night, but it’s the first time that the poverty in Africa causing deaths has been real to me. It was really very sad.

After a quick breakfast we went to each of the goat sheds we had built and prayed for the families and the sheds and the goats. Then we spilt up into small groups and went around the city to go door to door and share the Gospel with people. My group was really a partnership consisting of me and Benon.

The first house we went to was a family of five. The dad spoke a little English and told me and Benon that he was a Christian, but still also practiced some witchcraft. We talked with him and prayed for him and his family.

The second house we went to there was only two young girls around 12 and 14 home. We talked with them for a while and presented the Gospel and then we prayed with them to accept Christ. Part of me thinks that they were only accepting Christ to make the white girl happy, but it was still pretty cool and regardless of whether or not they truly accepted, at least a seed was planted.

The third house we went to was a mom and her 3 children. She had a 5 month old baby that was smaller than any newborn I’ve ever held in America. The mom told us that the baby has been sick since she was born. The mom was a Christian, so we spent some time talking with her and praying for her and her children.

The final house we went to was an old Ja-Ja with a lot of her grandchildren. After talking to her we discovered that 4 of her 5 children had died over the past 6 years. Her only remaining daughter had moved into her house with her. This left her and her daughter to take care of her daughter’s 3 children and her 18 orphaned grandchildren. In case you’re doing the math, that’s 21 kids. The woman cried while she told us her story. We offered her some words of encouragement, talked with her and prayed with her. I really wish there was more we could have done for her.

After that house we headed back to the camp, ate lunch and then went and prayed for the family who had lost their daughter, packed up the vans and headed home. Once we got home we did some research on the party at the US Embassy and discovered that it was for US citizens only. We didn’t really want to celebrate the 4th without our British and Ugandan friends, so we decided to throw our own celebration at the house.

The boys and I went and got firewood and marshmellows and we made s’mores and had a bonfire. Tara also made homemade apple crumble and we got ice cream at the super market. Even though it wasn’t the celebration we expected, it was still a good time.

July 5th

This morning we woke up and went to church at the Watoto church in Kampala. I’m going to be honest and say that I wasn’t a fan at all.

Part of it was because the service was completely commercialized. Every time they played a video I literally felt like I was watching a TV commercial.

Part of it was also because I felt really sick. I had to leave the service twice because I thought I was going to throw up. It case you’re curious, both times I just dry heaved, but I still felt pretty miserable.

When we got home I ate some crackers and rice and drank some Sprite and I felt a lot better so I decided to go to Garden City and watch Transformers 2 with everyone. I thought it was good, but I also thought the first one was better, and the romantic scenes were super cheesy.

The best part of the movie was that we got to bring Jovan along. Jovan is a neighbor boy that lives behind our house. Yesterday I had talked up fireworks to him and got him really excited about going and than we had to tell him that he couldn’t go. I felt really bad about disappointing him, so I paid him for to go see Transformers and got him some popcorn. He loved it.

When we got home around 8:30 my nausea was back. I also felt really light headed and had a headache at the same time if that’s possible. In short, I felt miserable. So I went to bed. I don’t think I have gone to bed that early since the age of 7. I woke up around 10 to say good bye to Louise and then went straight back to bed.

July 6th

This morning I felt much better when I woke up. I think I got so tired from the village trip and not sleeping well that my body just started to shut down. The sleep made me feel so much better.

This morning we went and spent the morning at Sanyu baby’s home. I did treatments on the usual kids. Susan, the German therapist, was there for the last time, but I feel pretty good about doing treatments on my own. Being here has definitely given me more confidence in my therapy skills.

After Sanyu we got went home and ate some lunch and had our planning meeting for the week. We then hung out at the house for a little while before going to Kampago College. Instead of going to Kampago, I went with Emily, Vanessa, Amy, Jan, and Katie to a nearby squatter’s house and played with the children there. We also sang song and made bracelets with them. They loved us and sang us songs and walked us back to Kampago. It was a really great time and I can’t wait to go back.

After we got back, I went to Tommy to the local clinic, which is literally right across the street. Tommy got hit in the eyebrow with Kevin’s head when they hit a giant speed bump while driving and he had a really deep (but small) cut from it. Since I’ve become the house medical expert for some reason, I looked at him and told him that it was probably deep enough to need stitches and that I would go over there with him to make sure that they cleaned it up right.

It was definitely an interesting experience. They ripped off the band aid that was on there so it gushed blood. They then refused to give him any sort of anesthetic because “he is a man and wouldn’t need it”. After finishing the stitch, they cleaned the wound with hand sanitizer. I felt bad because I kept on asking the doctor questions and making him justify his actions, but I wanted to make sure Tommy was taken of. I think I made him feel really self-conscious, because after he completed the stitch and cleaned the wound he had me come and inspect his work.

He accidently sewed part of the gauze into the stitch and had to pull it out, so I wasn’t very impressed.

After we got home we played some cards and ate some dinner and then things got really interesting.

There is a girl named Katie who got here right before we felt for Luwero. She is allergic to soy, which we already knew, but I don’t think we realized how allergic she was.

I causally walked back into our room to take out my contacts to find Katie sitting on the bed and Brett and Jen trying to get her attention. Right as I walked in, she passed out onto the floor and started shaking. Brett and I picked her up and put on laid her on the floor and covered her with blankets (at this point, we didn’t really know what was going on with her). We also went and got Jessie who is a nursing student. I tried to call 211 (the emergency number here) but the server was busy, This Is Africa. Around that time, Katie stopped shaking and breathing, Jessie started doing CPR and I sprinted across the street to get the doctor on duty.

The doctor across the street really pissed me off at this point. I ran into the clinic and said, “Hi there is a girl across the street who isn’t breathing and we can’t get a hold the emergency number to work, can you please come?”

To which he responded, “Well I don’t really know if I’ll be able to do anything.”

To which I said, “You’re a freaking doctor so you are the best we’ve got.”

He and the nurses then had a pretty in depth discussion about which nurse should go with him, so I yelled, “It doesn’t really matter someone just needs to come now!”

The doctor then took the hand of one of his nurses and the two of them literally walked like they were having a date along a boardwalk to our house.

At multiple times during their romantic walk I turned around and yelled, “She wasn’t breathing when I left could you please hurry?” I’ll also be honest and admit that I cursed a few time under my breath. The sense of urgency that needed to be there was definitely not!

When we got back to the house the “doctor” asked us to move Katie outside and I found Katie’s phone and called her mom. I talked to her mom just long enough to confirm that Katie was having an allergic reaction and to figure out what medicines we needed to give her before the phone I was on ran out of minutes.

It took me about 5 minutes to find another phone with minutes, so I’m sure I gave her mom some sort of heart attack/hernia.

By the time I was able to call her mom back, Katie was coming to, so I was able to give her mom some good news.

A little while later, Katie felt good enough get up and move from outside into her bed. We all felt so relieved. I’ll be honest and say that even though I think I did a pretty good job of keeping my cool, it was the most scared I’ve been in a while.

About 10 minutes after we got Katie into bed, the newest volunteers, a married couple (Nathan and Shawna) and another girl named Rachel came. We were all so grateful that they didn’t come any sooner. Can you imagine how nuts that would have been and how badly we would have scared them?

Needless to say, tonight was a crazy night. I can, however, happily say that Katie is currently watching Aladdin with me, Brett, Emily, Diane, and Andrew, so I’m pretty sure she’s made a full recovery.

Hopefully tomorrow won’t be so eventful!

Busy saving lives,
Jenna

Leaving for Luwero Today! (June 30th Post)

2009-06-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up and had devotions and then went to Wankulukuku primary school. It was by far my favorite school that we have visited. The children were absolutely adorable and when we pulled up to their school the kids were sitting outside and jumping up and down and screaming and chanting “Monzugu”. I felt like we were rock stars or something.

After we got out of the vans the kids were literally all over us. All of them wanted to be held and hugged and to hold hands. There were about 10 people in our group and all of them had about 10 kids crawling all over them. It was nuts.

We played games with them and sang some songs and then Gabby started to read them a story and tell them about how much God loves them. Then it started to rain. Not the usual daily Uganda sprinkle, but a literal downpour. We all ran inside their little school building. None of the kids wanted to leave the main 8 x 8 (that’s being generous) classroom because they wanted to stand by us, so there were about 100 kids, 5 teachers, and 10 of us standing in the little room. It was crazy. We passed out stickers, prayed, said our goodbyes, and sprinted from the classroom to the van in the rain.

After we got home we ate some lunch and had a meeting about our village trip to Luwero. It was pretty short. We are going to be staying at a school, building a goat shed and giving goats to 4 different families, and doing some evangelism once we finish our sheds. We are leaving tomorrow at 3 and coming back on Saturday afternoon. We’ll be back in time Saturday to have a proper 4th of July celebration! I’ve been campaigning for roasted marshmellows and sausage (they don’t have hamburgers or hot dogs here) all week. The US Embassy is also having a fireworks show, so some of us may go over there.

After our meeting we went to the store to get supplies for Luwero. I was able to get a 3 gallon container of water for $1.75 and 6 CDs for $2. Shopping in Uganda never gets old.

After our trip we headed to Clive College (high school). Clive College is literally next door to us. Our fence shares a fence with them. We went over there and sang some songs and did a skit and then we spilt up into groups of girls and boys and let them ask us questions. Most of the girls were too embarrassed to ask the questions out loud, so they had to write them down and pass them up. Most of the questions were really intense. Questions about boyfriends pressuring them to have sex, what to do if your boyfriend has HIV, how to feel more like a girl, what to do if a friend is peer pressuring you. It was a good reminder that these girls are just like the girls in US high schools, and that being in Africa doesn’t make them any different. Two of the questions were extremely serious. One of the girls had a lover who was paying her school fees and then she found out that her lover had a wife and three kids so she ended things. Her lover is now threatening to kill her if she doesn’t pay the school fees back. Another girl is being sexually harassed by her teacher.

We answered the questions as best we could and then we talked to them for a bit afterwards. The girl being sexually harassed by her teacher came and talked to me more about it. I told her that she really needed to tell her headmistress and offered to go with her, but she was still too nervous to go. I’ve been praying for her, and I hope you will too. We are going to try to go back more often now that we have established a relationship with the school so hopefully I can go back and check on her.

After our school visit we came home, ate some delicious breakfast tacos, played some card games with Brett and the Emilys, and watched The Last King Of Scotland. It was extremely depressing in case you’re wondering, but I still really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we leave for Luwero so you won’t hear from me until Saturday or Sunday. Please pray for safe travel for our group, for successful building, and for hearts to be opened when we evangelize. Also pray for energy and strength for our group as we go throughout the week. If I don’t talk to you before then, have a great 4th of July!

Enjoy a Few Tropical Burgers For Me,
Jenna

Monday, June 29th (internet was out)

2009-06-30T02:36:00.001-07:00

This morning we woke up really early and said good bye to some of my fellow Texans. Brian, Rawles, Laura, and Jared all left this morning at 5:30. They were some of my favorite people here and it was really sad see them go. The house is going to be a lot more quiet without them.

Afterwards, I spent some time on the internet. It is so much faster in the morning! I’m going to have to start getting up early to work on my paper for school. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning to do school work. What an awesome way to start the day.

After everyone else was ready to start their day, we left to go to Sanyu babies home. Amanda was already there and had gotten Francis dressed up for his trip to the hospital. We fed him and then Barbara (the director) drove us over to Katawalma to get him fitted for his chair. We didn’t have to wait long because instead of waiting in the waiting area, I walked back to the orthopedic area and started talking to Fred, the man I met with last week. Normally, people wait 2 to 3 hours.

Fred and I talked about the chair design with Amanda translating and then he talked about when it would be done. Fred tried to tell me last week that it wouldn’t be done until the end of July. Amanda and Rachel (Francis case worker who also came with us) weren’t having it. I don’t know what they said to Fred because they were talking in Luganda, but the chair should be done by next Wednesday.

We waited for the driver from the Sanyu Babies home to come get us for a long time. Close to an hour actually. Francis was crying and hungry and upset from all the noise and I had to hold him the whole hour. It was awesome. And by awesome I mean I kind of wanted to shoot myself.

When we got back to Sanyu, Amanda needed to pick some stuff up from her house, so we took a short walk to her apartment. Amanda is an absolutely amazing person and I loved getting to spend some time with her. Amanda lost both of her parents when she was younger, and since then has been living off money given to her and her sister by guardians, family members, and friends. Her apartment is an 8 x 8 room. It has a mattress on the floor, her closet, her kitchen, and her dressing area all in one area. Amanda told me that some nights she goes to bed without food because she has to use it to pay rent instead.

Amanda also told me that she is incredibly blessed and that she thanks the Lord everyday for all that He has given her. It was amazing. If I were in her situation I would have such a bad attitude, but she still has such a joy for the Lord. It blew me away.

After stopping by her house, Amanda and I went to a nearby restaurant and had cassava and French fries. It was so good. We had two plates full of French fries, two plates of cassava, and two cokes for 6700 shillings. That’s 3.25 American dollars if you can’t do the math. I love how cheap everything is in Uganda.

After lunch we went to a craft market. Amanda got me 60 small paintings to give to all the people who donated money. If I had paid full price, I would have paid 60,000 shillings, Amanda got it bargained down to 30,000 shillings for me. I am taking her shopping with me from now on.

After the craft market we came home and I tried on a traditional African outfit. Sarah, the administrator of Empower A Child, is having a traditional introduction ceremony (kind of like an engagement party) while I am here so I have to buy a traditional outfit.

After that Tommy and I did a pile of dishes and then we went and played some soccer at Kampago College. After dinner, Tommy and I did even more dishes. Then, four new people came, Amy, Katie, Andrew, and Brett, so we spent the rest of the evening meeting and greeting them.

Overall, it was a great day. Tomorrow is schools and preparing for our next village trip.

Enjoying The Day,
Jenna

The Best Birthday Weekend Of My Life Thus Far

2009-06-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

June 26th

This morning I woke up really early so that I could talk to my family for my birthday. It wasn’t a long talk, but it was still really nice to get to talk to mom, dad, and Ally. After I finished talking with them, I couldn’t go back to sleep so when it was finally time to start driving I ended up sleeping most of the way. Our safari group was small compared to others, most groups have 5 to 7 people, my group had me, Emily (a girl from Ohio), Jessie (a girl from Oregon), Gabby (a girl from Texas and a proud member of the UT marching band), and Jayan (the Ugandan girl who runs the sarfari part of Empower A Child and who took care of all the details the whole trip). We stopped on the side of the road again to get more of the roasted goat I love so much and Jayan also bought us some roast bananas-also extremely good. For lunch we stopped at a tourist hotel in Masindi. I had somosas (the Ugandan version of the hot pocket) and fried tilapia both of which we were really good. It took us about 3 hours to get to Masindi and it took us another hour to get to the park.

Murchison Park is huge-our guide told us on Saturday that it is approximately 4,000 square kilometers. After we got to the entrance to the park, it still took us almost an hour to get to the falls we were going to hike. After arriving and quickly applying some sunscreen, we headed out to hike to the top of Murchison falls. Our guide’s name was Simon and first he took us to the bottom of the falls and then an easy 30 minute hike to the top. We got to see 2 different falls and part of the Nile. It was absolutely breathtaking! We took a lot of pictures, but I really don’t think the pictures did it any justice at all.

When you look at something like that, it really shows you the glory and awesomeness of God. When I was looking at that waterfall all I could think to myself was, “How could someone look at this and doubt the existence of God?” It really was a view that left me awestruck by my Creator.

After the hike, we drove almost another hour to get to our campsite, The Red Chili Camp. We stayed in these cute little two bedroom cabins. Emily and I stayed together in Civet cabin. There were also community baths, but the showers in them actually had water (cold) that fell on you and toilets that flushed all the time! It was great!

For dinner I got some really good spaghetti and some banana custard for my birthday. The food at the campsite was so good!

Overall, today was an absolutely fantastic birthday. I honestly feel bad for my future husband-its going to be really hard to top this birthday. I really am so blessed with everything that God has given me. Thank you guys so much for supporting me and this trip so that I could have this opportunity. You guys are awesome!

June 27th

The Red Chili Camp turns off their generator from 11 at night to 8 in the morning. This means that: 1. I had to walk in the dark by myself to go to the bathroom last night (scary!) and that 2. Emily and I had to get ready by candlelight this morning. It was very Little House On The Prairie.

We headed to the ferry about 5 minutes from our campsite at around 7. The ferry takes you across the Nile to the game drive. We had to wait a little while for our turn, but while we were waiting, we got to see a beautiful sunrise. I love the sunrises here, they are always to beautiful! Or, it might just be that I actually take the time to notice their beauty here.

On the other side of the Nile, we picked up Frank, our guide and a park ranger. We also had the manager of Red Chili, Emma (Immanuel), driving with us. A little ways into the drive, Frank and Jayan let us pop up the top of the van and get on top. Emily and I sat in the front and the rest of the girls sat in the back. While the seat wasn’t the most comfortable, the view was incredible. The park literally goes on farther than your eyes can see. It’s just miles and miles of trees and grass and hills and the Nile. God’s Creation never ceased to amaze me this weekend.

The very first thing we saw on our safari was giraffes. I am pretty sure it was God’s birthday present to me. Giraffes are my favorite animal and in the US, it was still my birthday, so I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. The giraffes were literally less than 100 yards away from the van. It was incredible and I got some great pictures!

While we were in the park, we went on a hunt for lions. They are the hardest animal in the park to find. Frank took us to all the places that lions might be, but unfortunately they weren’t out because it rained a little the night before.

While on our hunt we got to see all the animals you typically see on a safari in this park: Monitor lizard, baboons, warthogs, Jackson heartbeast, Waterbuck, Ugandan Kob, Oribi, Water Buffalo, and Egrets. We also saw a bunch of birds, but the only 2 whose name I can remember is the Kingfisher and the Snake bird.

The animals were literally right next to our car. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

A little while into our hunt we found another herd of giraffes, and these ones were even closer to our van. Less than 50 yards. I almost peed my pants with excitement. I can’t wait to show you guys the pictures.

Towards the end of our safari, Emily and I begged Frank to let us have some bones. Technically, taking bones from the park is illegal because it is a national park, but Frank loved us, so he said it was alright as long as we didn’t tell any of the other park rangers. Frank found us a lion kill pile and let us pick some bones out-Emily tried to take a giant leg bone and I tried to take the skull, but Frank made us go for something smaller, so I took a jaw bone, a spine bone, and what appears to be an arm bone. My mom (the biology nerd) is going to love them.

It was good that Frank didn’t let us take the big bones anyways, later on we gave a Ugandan military officer with a giant gun a ride back to the ferry. We were able to hide our small bones in our bags, but I don’t think I would have been able to hide the skull from him. We would have gotten into huge trouble!

While we were stopping to get bones, I really needed to pee, so I squatted behind a tree. I tell you this so that I can tell you the following: I am probably one of the only people (if not the only person) who has ever peed behind a tree next to a lion kill and then taken a few bones illegally from said lion kill. You should feel honored that you know me.

We had to head back to the ferry around lunch time so that we could make our boat trip. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in finding lions or elephants today, but while we were waiting for the ferry, a baboon came and took our driver, Patrick’s, donuts from the van. It was hilarious. We gave him some bananas too.
Lunch at the camp was tropical burgers-hamburger with bacon, cheese, and pineapple. I know it doesn’t sound good, but it was incredible. Do me a favor and try some pineapple on your burger this 4th of July. You won’t regret it.

After lunch, we headed out the boat part of the safari. The boat ride was 3 hours to the bottom of Murchison falls. It was really nice and relaxing. Our guide, Captain Nelson, also loved me and Emily. He would point out animals to only us and whenever he saw that we were trying to take pictures, he would slow down or sometimes even stop the boat.

Along the way we got to see a few elephants from a far off distance, a ton of hippos, a few crocodiles, the Nyamisiki cliffs, and a ton of birds. We got to go really close to the bottom of the falls-only 700 meters away. We got to stop and get out on this small island and take some pictures. It was a really beautiful view.

Dinner was pork sausage and cinnamon and sugar pancakes for desert. The food continued to not disappoint.

I also accidently ripped off the scab on my elbow. It bled everywhere. I tried to find hydrogen peroxide and some band aids. It was like trying to pull teeth. Africans don’t believe in hydrogen peroxide and I don’t know what their problem with band aids is, but it literally took me an hour to get it all cleaned up.

I also took a shower in a different bathroom than the one I used last night. Tonight’s shower had bugs and birds flying everywhere. Also, last night’s shower was separated into boys and girls showers. I didn’t know that this one wasn’t until I walked out of the shower in my towel and found 2 boys staring back at me. It was embarrassing.

Lastly, when I got back to the cabin, there were probably 50 or so dead bugs on my bed. It was disgusting. Emily and I couldn’t figure out what killed them, but I’m sleeping on whatever it was that did them in. How comforting!

Besides these minor mishaps, today was seriously one of the coolest days of my life. I am so outrageously, incredibly, awesomely blessed. Words can’t even describe it.

Some fun animal facts I learned today:

• Egrets, although they look like baby deer, are actually fully grown.
• Jackson heartbeast have a 10 minute memory-they can literally have a lion eat a member of their herd and go back to the same location 10 minutes later because they don’t remember what happened there.
• Sausage trees are trees that have these fruits that look like sausages (creative naming I know) hanging from them. Elephants and rhinos like to eat these fruits and get drunk.
• All the palm trees we saw were not native to the area. The elephants pooped the seeds for the palm trees when they were migrating from Sudan.
• Giraffes live to be approximately 35 years old. At 20 their spots start to turn darker and they start to separate from the herd until they are living completely alone.
• In crocodiles the males are a darker green
• Elephants can take in 200 liters of water

June 28th

This morning we got up early and got ready by candle light again. We had some breakfast and rode the ferry across. We convinced (although I’m pretty sure he wanted to) Henry to be our guide again. Only about 15 minutes into the drive we saw a group of 5 lions-2 boys and 3 girls. They were just lounging around. It was awesome.

A little while later we saw a female lion by itself. Henry taught us how to tell if lions are around. If Kobs start to walk in a straight line, then you know lions are around. After that, Emily and I were able to find another female lion by itself a little later. Although we couldn’t get super close, Henry did let Patrick drive off the trail (also against the rules) so that we could get a closer look. We got as close as we could without it being dangerous. It was awesome.

After our lion encounter it started to rain, but we were still able to find some elephants getting water from the river. One of the elephants went and hid as soon as we pulled up, but we got right next to the other. He was a huge (Henry said he was the alpha) male. We literally were about 30 yards away. It made him a little unhappy that we got so close because he ended up charging after our car. We had to get out of there fast-but it was still awesome!

We also saw 2 more herds of giraffes. We were less than 30 yards away from both. One of them had 18 giraffes-and a few of those were babies. They were so cute!

Henry also saw a leopard. He tried to show it to us but it jumped out of the tree before he could. It is very rare to see a leopard on safari. Jayan takes people on safari 2 or 3 times a month and she has only seen 2.

On the way back to the ferry, Henry let me take a picture with his gigantic gun-my dad is going to be so proud!

After the drive I had another tropical burger for lunch and then we made the 5 hour drive back home. I finished Ragamuffin Gospel on the way home. You should really read it. It is one of the best books I have read in a while.

When we got back home, the foam at the bottom of the waterfalls had left me and Emily craving coke floats, so we went to the store and got some ice cream and coke and had coke floats while we watched the USA take on Brazil. Ivan found a TV and hooked it up to the cable for me for a late birthday present. Even though the US lost in the last 6 minutes, it was still fun to watch the game with everyone.

This was definitely one of the best birthday weekends ever!

Birthday Post

2009-06-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up early and got ready to leave for Sanyu with Amanda. Unfortunately, Amanda got caught in traffic and ended up showing up at the same time as we would have normally left. I hate getting up early for no reason.

When we got to Sanyu, the driver was out running errands, so we weren’t able to take Francis to the hospital today. I did get a chance to meet with Barbara, the director of Sanyu, and we talked about all the kids who are receiving therapy and changes that can be made. We also made appointments with everyone so that we can take Francis to the hospital for his chair on Monday morning. I didn’t really think that Barbara liked me because she wasn’t very friendly towards me, but Amanda said I really made an impression on her. She told all the nurses that they needed to help me, do whatever I asked of them, and to tell me thanks for all the work that I’m doing for the home.

I also did therapy with a few of the kids. The therapist is starting to listen to me, and for the most part, he lets me do whatever I want. Things are really starting to turn around there, and I am really excited about all the things I’ll be able to do there in the coming month.

After Sanyu we came home and had lunch and a quick nap and then we headed to Remand home. We did our usual program and played some games and then we hung out with the boys. I spent more time with Moses and another boy named Bruce. I had brought two Bibles with me to give away, so I gave one to each. They were both so excited. I showed them how to use the
Table of Contents and the One Year Reading plan in the back. It was great.

Even better, when we were there two weeks ago, Moses asked me to pray for his court case that happened last week. I have been praying about it the last two weeks and when I got there today he told me that he gets to go home next Saturday! He was so happy and excited to tell me about it, and it was really cool to show him the power of prayer.

After Remand Home we came back to the house. A bunch of people went to the School of the Deaf but tonight was my night to help with dinner so I had to stay behind. John and I made spaghetti, bananas and pineapples, and birthday cake for me and Leah’s birthday (today was Leah’s birthday and tomorrow is mine)

After dinner we sang Happy Birthday and had the cake and some ice cream. It was a nice little celebration.

Tonight Emily and I packed for safari and watched Mean Girls. Tomorrow we leave bright and early for safari, so you won’t hear from me until Sunday.

I get to call my family tomorrow (tonight for you guys) for my birthday. I can’t believe I’m going to be 22 in a few hours.

Today’s word: birthday which in Luganda means birthday…weird, I know.

22 in a few hours!
Jenna

Just Another Day In Africa

2009-06-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up and had a really awesome devotion time. Rachel played the song “God Of This City” for us and we talked about how God is the God of Kampala. Then, we went on a prayer walk around our neighborhood. I went with Emily and Rita. It was really nice to just walk around the Ntinda area. Most of the time, our ministries are further away from our house, and it was nice to focus on our neighbors for a bit.

After devotions, we headed to Katawalma children’s hospital and there were finally therapists there! Well actually, only one therapists, the rest were in meetings. The therapist I worked with was named Karen, she is from Switzerland and she is actually a physical therapist. She also told me that back home, she hasn’t worked on a child in close to 5 years. Working with her ended up being really good, she was able to show me some stuff, and because she didn’t have a ton of experience with kids, she was willing to listen to my suggestions. She even asked me to do some therapy by myself during one of the sessions.

The first little boy, Mohammed, we worked with had a mild case of cerebral palsy. He is 2 years old and is still having trouble sitting up and using his left hand. The therapist worked on his left hand some, and then she let me do some NDT treatments on a ball with him. He was a really happy kid, and his mom was really involved and helpful, so it was really nice to work with them.

The second boy, Sansom, made me cry for the second time in Africa. Sansom is probably close to 20 years old but they lie and say he is 18 so that he can come to therapy. He has a severe case of cerebral palsy, and his parents just started bringing him to therapy for it last month.

Sansom looked like he was maybe 12. He had joint contractures that make it impossible for him to bend his knees. His legs are permanently crossed. His feet look like clubs. His hands are clasped tightly together and his wrist and flopped over. He also drools all over himself. The therapist also told me that before the doctor gave him pain pills last week, all he did was cry any time anyone touched him or tried to move him.

He can’t sit up by himself and he lies on his side all day in the same position until someone comes along and changes his position. Additionally, because he lies on his side all day, his family has trouble feeding him. His legs and arms are literally skin on bones. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of him, but I wish you could have seen him. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

Karen and I did what we could for him therapy wise, and we worked on placing on order for a wheelchair and some hand splints from the workshop for him.

After Sansom, I went and met with a few of the carpenters about some things I wanted to order for Sanyu. They don’t have any therapy wedges or rolls, so I ordered some for the clinic. I was able to take a wedge home with me, but I have to wait a few weeks on the roll. I also tried to talk to them about making a chair for Francis. I had drawn up measurements for a chair for him, but they refused to make it without seeing him first. We called the director of Sanyu and made arrangements to bring him back tomorrow. We have to live at 6:30 in the morning.

After we got back, we had a really fast lunch and then we went to Clive College (high school) to lead a Scripture Union. We sang songs, Kevin spoke and then we split up into groups and let the kids ask us questions.

The kids in my group were so funny. They asked a bunch of questions about farming, and my job, but my favorite question was, “I’ve heard that people with white skin like you bath 3 times a day and that’s why you’re so white. Is that true?” It was hilarious.

After Scripture Union we hung out at the house some. I went and got some silly string, balloons, and shaving foam for therapy with the kids at Sanyu. Afterwards, we went back to Kampago College (high school) and played soccer and basketball with some of the kids.

While we were playing soccer, I cut a ball around a boy and I think I embarrassed him, because afterward he shoved me onto the ground. His friends yelled at him in Luganda, so he apologized but it still cut up my knees and elbows pretty badly. It’s the first time that someone has been mean to me in Uganda.

Tonight Colin and Leah made tacos with chapatti. Then, Brian and Rawles introduced me to their special sandwich that they make when they are at home. It’s peanut butter, sugar, cinnamon, maple sugar, and bananas on a chapatti (or tortillas at home). It was literally Heaven in my mouth.

Admittedly, all the sugar made me sick.

I am ultra excited about tomorrow. We are getting Francis his chair, I get to go hang out with Moses at Remand home, we are visiting a School for the Deaf and then tomorrow night we are getting ready for safari. It’s going to be a great day!

Today’s word: oluwumula (o-lou-woo-moo-la) which means vacation

Excited for Tomorrow,
Jenna

Cleaning Toilets and Washing Clothes By Hand

2009-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today we woke and had a really long devotion time. Tara had everyone share their favorite thing about Gulu, their least favorite thing about Gulu, and one thing God taught them. 40 people sharing all that information took close to an hour and 45 minutes.

I shared that my favorite thing was helping Fiona walk, my least favorite thing was God showing me what a spoiled brat I am, and that God showed me that I need to be more bold in sharing my faith with others back home. It was really interesting to hear about everything that God taught people during the week.

After devotions, we had a planning meeting and then we waited for lunch. And waited, and waited, and waited. We didn’t eat until almost 2.

I took advantage of the long break and did some laundry. Someone got gum on my sheets while I was gone, and it had also gotten on my skirt, so I had to use Petrol to get it out. Jayan helped me and she also taught me how to wash clothes by hand. She was stunned that I had never learned how to do that before and that every in American uses washing machines and dryers.

After lunch we tried to go to a school and hang out with kids, but there had been a miscommunication and some scheduling conflicts so we weren’t allowed in. Instead, we went over to Kampago College (high school). The girl’s basketball team doesn’t have a coach, so some of us went over there to help coach the team. Tommy, John, and I played a game of street soccer with a group of boys and then talked with them afterwards. Kids here always have so many questions about America! We also played a board game with them called Rubo. I’ve never played it, but Tommy says it’s popular in England.

After we got back we ate some dinner, colored in coloring books and watched Remember the Titans (my favorite movie)! It was such a great night.

On a side note, Mom, you’ll be proud to know that I unclogged and cleaned a toilet today by myself. The water was out all day today so the toilet has been used and not flushed all day. Tonight it was disgusting, so I got the clog out, poured water in the basin so it would flush, and cleaned it.

Your little girl is growing up, try to hold back the tears.

Cleaning toilets and whatever else it takes to further the Kingdom,
Jenna

June 22nd (Internet was Out)

2009-06-23T00:47:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up early and went had Rita take me to Sanyu. I was still really tired from Gulu, but I had promised the German therapist that I would come back and work with her, so I felt like I needed to keep my promise. We had to take a taxi and another boda boda, and we stopped and got some breakfast bread and a weird type of black berry juice for breakfast. It was my first time to eat breakfast outside of the house.

I am so glad I got up to go to Sanyu. It was such a great morning! Since we weren’t on any time constraints, we were able to work with every child that needed therapy. The therapist gave me a bunch of different activities to do with each child since this was her last visit. It was really informative and a ton of fun. The therapist had brought shaving cream and bubbles and the kids had a blast with it. We even let Moses, Godwin, and Oscar go outside and play with it. They were a huge mess by the time they were finished but they laughed and squealed the entire time. They are definitely not autistic.

After playing, we helped feed, change, and put the kids down for a nap and then Rita and I headed back to the house. We both fell asleep in the taxi and luckily woke up right before our stop. I ended up accidently falling asleep on a man’s shoulder! He didn’t really seem to mind.

After we got back to the house we ate a late lunch and I took a quick nap and journaled on Gulu. Then, we were supposed to go play soccer at a local school for the deaf, but they cancelled at the last minute. In place of this, we decided to go see another movie at Garden City. We ended up seeing State of Play. It was a good movie and I really enjoyed it. Perhaps the best part was the popcorn Emily and I shared during the movie and the ice cream I had after. The whole trip gave me a little taste of home.

When we got back to the house we played some card games. Rawles and I dominated at Skip Bo again. I tried to watch some movies, but I ended up being too tired. I definitely needed to catch up on my sleep from the Gulu trip.

I can’t believe that my birthday and safari are both in 4 days!

Gulu Trip

2009-06-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

June 17th

Today we woke up pretty early and got ready to go to Gulu. It took a while for us to get ready and load everything in the car. We also had to get our car serviced at two different places before we could go. We were supposed to leave at 9:00 am. We ended up leaving at around 11:30. This is Africa.

On the way up there, we ended up getting pulled over by the police twice, once for speeding and once for not having our license plate attached (it had fallen off and was in the window). We had to stop along the way and get the license re attached. We were able to pay off the police officer to get out of the speeding ticket, but not before he made us listen to a 20 minute story about why police officers will go to Heaven before everyone else. We also stopped and got some really good grilled goat along the way. With stops and all, it ended up taking us about 7 hours. We arrived in Gulu around 6:30.

Along the way we were able to cross over some really pretty water falls that are part of the Nile. We were all admiring the falls and the bridge until Colin told us things that had happened on the bridge during the war. The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) used to block both sides of the bridge when people were on it. People then had to choose between getting shot or jumping off the bridge into the waterfalls. At a different bridge we were also able to see baboons hanging out near by. It was fun and a good distraction from the trip.

The house we are staying in has a main house and a hut in the backyard. It also has no electricity, running water, or regular bathrooms. The family that normally lives in the house is staying in the hut this week so that the girls in our group can stay in the house. I am always stunned by the generosity of the people in Africa.

The no regular bathrooms means that we are peeing in cement hole over a deep pit in the ground (the African version of the port o potty) all week. It should be interesting.

No electricity means that we went to bed at about 8 when it got dark. Emily, Brittany, Louise and I decided to sleep in a tent outside. It was too hot in the room we were supposed to sleep in, and we wanted to stay away from cockroaches. Sleeping in a tent for 5 days should be interesting to say the least!

June 18th

One thing that is good about sleeping in Gulu is that the stars are absolutely beautiful! Since Uganda is near the equator, we can see stars from both the northern and southern hemispheres. Also, the absence of lights anywhere means that the stars are so bright and beautiful. It was wonderful.

Pretty much everything else about sleeping in Gulu is not wonderful. It is freezing here at night. We slept on a slant, so my hands kept falling asleep. There are four of us in a three person tent, so you don’t have room to move around. We could also hear wild dogs, and at one point, a pig walking around outside our tent. I also refused to get up and go to the bathroom in the dark. All in all, I think I slept about 15 minutes. It was awesome.

As it turns out, sleeping inside would not have been much better. There are bugs everywhere and a few rats. One of the girls, Laura, got bit by a rat on the finger last night. She had to go to the clinic this morning to get checked out for rabies.

We got up at around 6:30 when the sun came up. We split into 4 groups for the week. My group went to work on the house today. The first thing on our list of things to do was to move clay bricks from the chairperson’s (like a mayor) house to the building site about a mile away. The truck that was supposed to move them never came, so we carried the bricks by hand. Close to 1,000 bricks, 2 to 8 bricks at a time depending on how strong the person was. Needless to say, it was a long morning.

After moving bricks, we started to dig the foundation. The house is going to be about 10 foot by 10 foot. The foundation needed to be about 4 feet deep. So, we worked on digging at 10 foot by 10 foot square. It wasn’t two bad until about foot 3 when we hit some kind of substance that was in between rock and clay.

After finishing the hole, we started laying bricks. We were only able to finish the bricks that made up the foundation; the walls should go up tomorrow. At first, the boys would only let me level and hand them bricks, but by the end of the day, I was spreading cement and placing bricks too. I’m pretty sure I could make a brick wall by myself now!

I can honestly say that I have never worked harder and been as dirty, tired, and sore as I was at the end of today. It did, however, feel really good to look at our hole and say, “I worked my butt off to get that done”.

When we got back, we played with some kids from around the neighborhood. People around here speak a tribal language called Acholi instead of Luganda and only two of the Ugandans in our group speak Acholi. It makes communicating with words almost impossible.

Despite all of this, I made friends with a little girl named Sarah. She appears to be about 8. I don’t know for sure because the only thing we can say in each other’s languages in “How are you?”, “Fine”, and “What is your name?”. Sarah also knows how to ask for sweets. Despite all of this, we spent a large majority of the evening together, laughing and playing. I love that language can’t get in the way of smile and laughter and fun. I know that sounds cheesy, but I don’t care.

Around sunset, Felix (the therapist) and I find a little girl living in the neighborhood who has hypotonic cerebral palsy. Hypotonic cerebral palsy is a type of cerebral palsy that causes the muscles to be really limp and floppy. Because of this, the little girl, Fiona, has been scooting around on her bottom. She also can not talk and drools often.

I showed her mom some oral motor exercises she can do for the drooling. Felix and I also designed a walker, took measurements, and found a local carpenter to construct it for us. He only wanted to charge us 2,000 shillings ($1) to make it. I wanted to make sure he had it done by Saturday, so I paid him 20,000 shillings ($10).

After dinner, we made a camp fire and had a huge dance party. Joseph drummed a bunch of different songs and tribal dances on the drum and we danced. The Ugandans danced the tribal dances and the Americans danced like retards, but it was still a good time.

I stayed up kind of late singing worship songs with Diana, Colin, Tommy, and Kevin. I wanted to make sure I was super tired so I would actually sleep through the night!

June 19th

Last night, it rained on and off throughout the night. Our tent was waterproof though, so it wasn’t so bad, only things right by the windows (like my feet) got wet.

My group went to a primary school this morning and gave a presentation. The headmaster didn’t know we were coming, so we had to wait a long time to finally go on. The headmaster also gave us a lecture about visiting Africa and not staying to change it. I am pretty sure he wanted all of us to sign 5 year teaching contracts right there. After the confusion with scheduling, we only had about 20 minutes left during announcement time, so we sang a song, did a skit, and then Ty spoke for about 3 minutes. All things considered, it went pretty well.

After the performance, we walked about 20 minutes to the site where we were building the house. There is a well nearby that is kind of dirty, so we slashed the grass with machetes and slashers and cleaned mud out of the water. The work gave me tons of blisters. While we were slashing, Brian accidently hit Erin in the face with a slasher. She had to go to the clinic to get stitches. I wonder if the people at the clinic are tired of seeing dumb Americans yet?

After we had cleaned up the well, we hung out around the site. A few of the boys worked on the walls of the house, but only 5 people could work at a time. Some of the boys also worked on digging a bathroom pit near the house. The rest of us sat around, talked, and ate mangos. We also played with some of the village children. It was a good time. One of the little boys, Jared, ended up taking a nap in my lap. It was so cute. I probably could have sat there all day.

Later in the afternoon, we went to Invisible Children. Invisible Children is a non profit organization that is working on rebuilding Uganda after the war. You may have seen an Invisible Children movie at a nearby college campus. The organization raises awareness and funds by showing a documentary the founders made on the effects the war in Uganda has had on its children. I’ve never seen it, but it is supposed to be really good.

One of the program directors talked to us about the different programs they are doing and gave us a tour of their offices. One program involves educating and mentoring local children. Another involves teaching child mothers (girls who were forced to have the children of LRA members) a craft and then selling the craft. The girls are then taught basic money management skills with their profits. They are also starting a similar program with cotton growers. The final program is called School to Schools and involves schools across the world doing fundraisers to help improve schools here in Uganda. It was a really interesting visit. You can check out everything Invisible Children is doing at their website:

After Invisible Children we went to a secondary school and gave another presentation. We sang songs, did a skit, Laura talked for a bit, and then we answered questions on faith and prayed with the students about their prayer requests. We also passed out stickers, small balls, and toothbrushes. In America, high school kids would have laughed at you for passing out that kind of stuff, here, the kids were so grateful. I am reminded on a daily basis how spoiled Americans really are.

Tonight after dinner we stayed up talking with the Ja Ja (grandmother) who owns the house that we are staying in. She told us a ton of stories about her child hood, meeting her husband, and the war. She even told us a story about her running away and barely surviving an attack from the LRA (all of her neighbors were killed). We also asked her about 3 graves that are in her backyard. As it turns out, they belong to people in her family who were killed by the LRA. One of the graves belongs to her 7 year old grandson. The other 2 belong to her sons. It was a very sobering and interesting evening.

June 20th

This morning the boys went and worked on the house more while the girls went to Noah’s Ark orphanage to play with children. Noah’s Ark is similar to Kids in Need, in that the children that stay there are older street children who need help, but have not yet been arrested. None of the kids spoke a word of English, but we still had fun playing Frisbee and soccer. We also sang songs, did a skit, and gave a short message with the help of an interpreter. I was able to teach the boys I played with, Felix and Richard, how to “pound it” with your fists. Overall, it was a productive morning.

After Noah’s Ark we went home and changed to go work on the house some more. We got lost trying to walk there without the boys, and when we finally made it, we discovered that they were out of bricks. So, we had to make the mile walk to move about 600 more bricks to the site. It was a tiring morning.

After moving the bricks, I cleaned up a few of the village kids who had some cuts- one of them had some sort of ringworm on his head. Everyone here expects me to be some sort of doctor or nurse. I don’t really mind until they expect me to diagnose stuff-I definitely didn’t go to school for that!

After leaving the site we went to a local IDP (internally displaced persons) camp. During and right after the war, approximately 2,800 people lived in this camp. The camp now has about 1,800.

Our guide, Franics, was actually one of the people abducted by the LRA. The LRA shot his father and brother in their beds and forced him to join their army. He spent 3 years with the LRA before he was able to escape and return home. He now is actively involved in improving his community. He showed us around the camp, which was actually a lot bigger than I expected it to be. It probably took us about 15 minutes to get from one side of the camp to the other.

During the tour we got to see the “clinic” which was really just a few beds with curtains around them. We also got to see where they used to pass out food to everyone. The organization that passes out the food now only has enough money to pass out food to vulnerable children and seniors. Another building we saw was a small building with no complete walls and a single chalkboard. It is where all the children had to stay during the day while there parents were working in the garden so they could be kept safe from LRA abductions. Some of the children had to walk as many as 4 miles to get to this building everyday.

After this, we saw the area where the soldiers stayed. The soldiers would stay on the outskirts of the camp and prevent anyone from entering or leaving after 4:30 in the afternoon. If you tried to enter the camp after 4:30, you could be arrested or killed, no questions asked.

Perhaps the saddest part of the tour was the huts. We got to go inside one of the huts. When I was standing inside, I could stand in the middle, lean over a bit, and touch the walls on either side with my finger tips. I’m 5 foot 3 inches, and my head almost touched the top of the roof. A woman lived there with her 3 children. This small spaced served as their closet, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room and everything else room. It was slightly bigger than my closet.

Peter, the Ugandan who took us to the camp, told us that during the war, many people would lock themselves in their huts for safety. The LRA would then throw torches over barriers onto one of the huts. The huts are made mostly of straw, and when one would catch on fire, hundreds of them could burn. The LRA burned alive literally thousands of people this way.

The woman whose hut we visited lost her husband in the war, and about a year ago, lost one of her daughters to some sort of infection. She has just recently checked another child into a hospital for sickle cell disease. The child won’t live long here with sickle cell. We prayed for her and sang some songs with her. She praised the Lord louder than anyone else in our group. The perseverance the people of Africa have is absolutely incredible.

While we were taking the tour, I had the opportunity to talk with Peter about some of his experiences. Peter came and shared the Gospel in Gulu when the LRA was still present and Gulu was still very dangerous. He has also been arrested and beaten in Sudan for sharing the Gospel. I am afraid of sharing the Gospel back home because it might be embarrassing. I am so lame.

While we were walking around, we got to meet a group of men who were abducted by the LRA and are now a part of a dance support group for men like them. It was interesting to talk to them, but I’ve found that people here who have been abducted by the LRA don’t want to share very much of their stories. To be honest, we probably couldn’t handle hearing it.

We also got to meet the camp Ja Ja who talked with us and prayed for us for a while.

While we were walking around, we accumulated a crowd of children who were interested in seeing all the white people. We played with them while we were walking. Peter said about 90% of them lost their dad in the war. They all wore dirty, torn clothes. They were all super skinny with pouched bellies from hunger. They all had huge smiles. It broke my heart.

One of the boys had an odd looking wound that you could fit your entire pinky tip in. It also had some necrotic tissue around it. We drove him into town so that it could get treated.

When we got back from that, I went and picked up the walker, ate dinner and spent the rest of the evening playing with Sarah.

June 21st

This morning, Felix and I woke up early to take the walker to Fiona. I’m going to be honest. I cried for the first time in Africa today. Fiona was able to walk by herself for the first time in her life. Her mom clapped and cheered and cried and I lost it. To know that I was a part of such a huge change in this little girl’s life and independence was so moving. I could go home tomorrow and feel like the trip was worth while.

When we got back, the boys went to finish the house and the girls cleaned and packed up the house and went to church. We went to one of the Watoto churches (there are 8 around Uganda). To be honest, I wasn’t a real fan. To me, it seemed like an Americanized service, which I don’t mind at home, but this is Africa. Give me an African drum and a Gospel choir any day. The message on unity was really good though, and I can’t criticize the organization too much. It gives literally hundreds of Ugandan orphans a place to call home. You can check out their website here:

After church, we went home and ate lunch and packed up the vans and waited on the boys to finish with the house. And waited, and waited, and waited. We were supposed to leave at 1, but we didn’t leave until 4:30 because the roof took longer to put on than the boys expected. The drive home involved a lot less stops, so it only took about 5 hours. This was good because I was crammed in the back seat with tools underneath my seat that prevented me from ever putting my foot on the floor completely.

On the way home I sat by John (our cook). He had me try g nuts (African peanuts), more goat, and fried cassava (my new favorite African food). He also tried to buy a few live chickens and make me ride home with them in my lap. I think he actually thought it was a good idea until he realized that both me and the chickens would have squealed the entire way home.

When we got home, I unpacked and showered for the first time in 5 days (I had only been wiping down with a wash cloth and camping wipes because I didn’t want to use the open shower at the house). I thought I had gotten a tan, but my “tan” ended up being layers of dirt. It was slightly disappointing.

I also changed my shaved my legs, plucked my eyebrows, clipped my nails, put on lotion, and changed my sheets. It felt good to act like a girl again. I know I am going to get good sleep tonight!

Tomorrow's Gulu Day!

2009-06-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to a relaxing day, but I ended up planning more activities for myself than I needed. We woke up and had devotions. Devotions this morning were really good. Jen had us spend some time in groups encouraging and praying for each other. It was really up lifting.

We had the morning off so I was finally able to take a warm running water shower. It was fabulous.

During lunch Felix and I got to talking about what kind of chair Francis (the boy with cerebral palsy) would need so that he could sit up and play with the other kids in his class. Felix and I drew up a plan and figured out what measurements we would need to take. Then we had some lunch and walked to see a carpenter about making the chair for Francis. He wanted to charge us 40,000 shillings (20 US dollars) to make the chair. I thought that was a good deal, but Felix didn’t. He recommended that I wait until next week when we get back to Katawalma (the children’s hospital) because they could do it better and for cheaper (30,000 shillings or 15 US dollars). Can you believe it? A cerebral palsy chair for $15 dollars, back home it would cost thousands of dollars!

Once we were done making our plans, Amanda (a Ugandan) and I head to Sanyu baby’s home so that I could take measurements of Francis. Because I was the only one going, Amanda and I had to take a taxi to Sanyu, but first we went and picked up our white water rafting DVD and stopped by a craft market so I could get some Ugandan sandals at a place that Amanda knows about where they are really cheap.

When we wanted to get back into the taxi, we found a part of the city where a strike was going on. A group of people who own shops in a market were protesting the closing of the shopping center where they work. The strike was already over, but there were still burnt out fires and soldiers everywhere! The taxis couldn’t pass through, so we had to take a boda boda the rest of the way. I was smart enough not to get burned this time, but I still have not figured out a graceful way for me to get on, off, or ride a boda boda. I’m pretty sure I look ridiculous when doing all things boda boda.

When we got there, the babies were just waking him from their nap, so I had to change and feed Francis before I could start measuring him. It was very difficult to do because there were children around every where and I had no one to help me hold Francis up while I measured him. After a about an hour or so, I think I finally got what I needed. I can’t wait to take the measurements to Katawalma next Wednesday and see what they can do.

After I finished measuring Francis, I played with the babies some. Mostly Moses and a little boy named David. They were so cute and fun and I had a really good time. Afterwards, we met up with Rita, another Ugandan, and a girl named Leah from Minnesota. Leah wants to get her hair dreadlocked before we go to Gulu, and she needed Amanda to take her to see a friend of hers. Rita took me the rest of the way home on a taxi.

When I got home we watched the Notebook and ate some dinner. Sometime tonight I have to pack for Gulu. I am getting up early tomorrow to call my family before we leave for Gulu. I am so excited about the trip and about getting to talk to them!

In case you don’t get my e-mails, I will be gone to Gulu until Sunday evening. So you won’t get any updates from me until then but here is a list of things you can pray about while I am gone:

•Pray for safe travel for me and the group. Gulu is 6 to 8 hours away because the roads in Ugandan are so bad.

•Pray for our group’s safety while we are there. Gulu is much safer than it was a few years ago, but we have been told there are some mentally unstable individuals there who hate white people and might try to fight with some of the boys.

•Pray for the things we bring to stay safe, because theft is an issue in such a poor part of the country.

•Pray for our group to have strength and energy as we will be doing a lot of hard work and sleeping on cement floors, which will obviously limit the amount of sleep and rest we get.

•Pray for us to work hard. We are going to try to build an entire house in 3 days!

•Pray for us to have a impact on all the people at the refugee camps and schools that we meet.

•Pray for God to change us and for those people to have an impact on us.

•Also, this one might sound silly, but pray for the burn that I have on my leg. I popped the blisters today so I wouldn’t have to worry about them popping in Gulu. I am bringing cleaning supplies and bandages with me, but I am concerned about it getting infected while we are in such an unclean place. So pray for no infections and fast healing!

Today’s word: takisi (tack key see) which means taxi.

Talk to you guys in few days!
Jenna

Another Day At The Babies Home

2009-06-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty laid back day. We woke up and headed to the babies home. This morning was fabulous. There was an occupational therapist there from Germany and she and I worked with the “therapist” that usually works at the home. I guess because she was there and telling him the same things I told him last week, he was actually willing to listen. I feel like the morning was actually productive.

We explained to him that Godwin and Moses do not actually have autism, and we taught him some of the basic symptoms and treatments of autism. We also showed him some sensory activities and speech things he can do with them to help with their delayed speech.

We proved to him that a boy named Oscar is not deaf and showed him how to work on his speech.

Perhaps most importantly, we showed him a bunch of activities we can do with Francis (the cerebral palsy boy). Also, the therapist has a friend who is a carpenter and he is going to fix up the very run down chair that he currently has.

I can’t wait to go back to the house and work with them again next Monday. It feels so great to actually make a difference.

After the baby’s home we went back to the craft market. I bought some bags, jewelry, and some really pretty carved gourds. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to have one of the rooms in my future home as an African theme. I have so much cool stuff!

After the craft market we had a late lunch and then we had a meeting about Gulu. Gulu is a village in northern Uganda that has experienced a lot of destruction after the fighting from the Lord’s Resistance Army that occurred there a few years ago. We are leaving for Gulu early Wednesday morning and coming back Sunday after church. Here are a few quotes from the meeting:

• You should bring toilet paper if you want to be able to use it.
• Prepare to be uncomfortable.
• Girls should wear skirts so that its easier to use the restroom in the bushes
• The water you bathe in will probably be dirty

And my personal favorite:

• You should sleep in long sleeves and long pants so that you don’t feel the cockroaches crawl on you at night

Despite all of this, we are going to be building a home for a woman who is taking care of her 9 grandchildren, visiting kids at local schools, and perhaps what I am most excited about, visiting and playing with children at a refugee camp. There is even a school we are going to that is solely for children who have been injured in the war. To say that I am excited about the ministry opportunities that are coming up would be an understatement. It is going to be so impactful for both us and them!

After the meeting we just hung out at the house. I did some laundry. We can add washers and dryers to the list of things I appreciate back home. I helped Sarah the housekeeper wash my clothes in a basin and then we laid them out on the grass to dry which to me defeats the purpose of washing, but Sarah seemed ok with it. I also miss dryer sheets and fabric softener, my clothes are so hard!

The Carolina girls left this evening. It was really sad to see them go. It kind of sucks to share all these once in a lifetime experiences with people and then know that you won’t see them much, if ever, after they leave. It’s a little depressing. 2 new boys and a new girl are coming tonight and another new girl is coming tomorrow. It will be interesting to meet them.

The only good thing about the girls leaving is that I finally get a bottom bunk! I was so tired of crawling up that little ladder every night. It will be so nice to roll into bed when I am tired. Who would have thought I’d be so excited about a bottom bunk?

Tomorrow is a day to relax and prepare for Gulu. It should be an easy day.

Today’s word: mwaana (ma wan na) which means baby.

Excited for Wednesday,
Jenna

Experiencing Some African Culture

2009-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today was another great day in Uganda. We woke up this morning and went to a local university that also has an Anglican church on its campus. We had to get their really early to put on Sunday school for the girls that attend school on campus. Sunday school was awesome! The girls sang some songs for us and gave a short message and then we did the same. It was so cool to hear the joy those girls had for the Lord. The best part was singing “My Redeemer Lives” with them. At the part where the song says, “Because my Lord has conquered the grave…my Redeemer lives, my Redeemer lives” the whole room went nuts. I mean shaking plastic chairs in the air, twisting handkerchiefs above our heads, fisting pumping, jumping up and down nuts. There were at least 100 people in the room celebrating the fact that Our Redeemer really does live. The energy and passion in the room was awesome. I almost cried. It was really a beautiful moment and one of the best worship experiences I’ve ever been a part of.

After the Sunday school, we went to the main service. Anglican church services aren’t really my thing I suppose. The worship was awesome, but the pastor’s message gave me some of the best sleep I’ve gotten in a while. It took him 20 minutes just to read through Colossians chapter 1! We also presented a skit during the service.

The skit was interesting to say the least. None of us really understood the point or the message of the skit. I was an angel, which meant that for the entire song/skit I flapped my arms like wings. By the end of the skit, I’m pretty sure the audience was laughing at us. I have a video of it, so hopefully I can show it to you guys when I get home. Despite the fact that the skit made no sense, I’m a pretty dang good angel wing flapper if I do say so myself.

Today when I got back from church I was tired and sore and sunburned from white water rafting. I was also dumb enough to burn myself on the boda boda the other day and the burn started to blister. My ankle was slightly twisted and swollen from rafting yesterday and I had a ton of mosquito bites all over me. In short, I wasn’t feeling so hot so I popped in P.S. I Love You on my lap top and fell asleep watching it. It was a nice afternoon. I felt approximately 4,637 times better afterwards

Tonight we went to a nearby cultural center and watched a dance troop perform all the tribal dances of the different tribes in Uganda. It was nuts. I don’t know how those dancers move the way they do. At one point, a woman balanced 9 pots on her head and danced at the same time. It was crazy! We also had a buffet of traditional African food: matooke, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, grilled goat on a stick and pineapple bites for deserts. There was also a ton of fruit. The fruit in Ugandan is so good and fresh. I love it!

Tomorrow I’m not sure exactly what’s in store for us. There is a rumor we might go to the baby’s home and craft market, but that has yet to be confirmed. I do know that the Carolina girls, Brittney, Ashley, Anna, and Carissa are heading home tomorrow night. It will be really sad to see them go. 3 new people are also coming tomorrow. It will be interesting to meet them.

Today’s word: kuzina (koo ze na) which means to dance.

Wishing I had African Rhythm,
Jenna

Mom, You Might Want To Skip This One

2009-06-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today was an awesome day! We woke up at 6 and left the house at 6:30. We went to the white water rafting office and got on the bus. All of the rich tourists get picked up by the bus at their hotels, so we had to spend about an hour going from hotel to hotel.

The part of Kampala they put in the tourists in is much different from the part I’m used to seeing. The streets are cleaner, the buildings are nicer, there is landscape around the buildings, and they even have professional street cleaners around. Today a woman with a Coach bag and Marc Jacob’s sunglasses was shocked by some of the slums we drove by. I don’t understand what part of Kampala she’s been in the whole time.

I know that was a very judgmental statement of me, but it really upset me.

Anyways, after we had picked everyone up, it took us about an hour and a half to get to Jinja, which is a city close to Lake Victoria, where the Nile River ends. The drive there was so beautiful! Hills and trees and untouched jungle areas. I didn’t take any pictures because we were driving, but it doesn’t matter, pictures don’t do it justice. You really just need to come see it yourself.

There were 7 of us white water rafting: Me, Louise, Jen, Brittany, Ashley, Anna, and Carissa. Ashley and Anna were also bungee jumping, so first, we watched them go. I am so glad I decided not to go; just watching them made me sick to my stomach. After they finished jumping we got our gear and met our guide.

Our guide, Nathan, was awesome! He is an Olympic kayaker and has also trained various military troops on how to raft at night. Additionally, many kayaking video companies have paid him to do films on famous falls around the world. In short, the guy knows what he is doing. Don’t be fooled either, because not all of the guides were that good. Our guide was the head guide of the all guides which made me feel a lot better. He was also very nice and funny. He did make some really vulgar jokes and comments, but mom asked me to keep my blogs PG, so I won’t share them with you.

Rafting down the Nile is awesome awesome awesome. There are Grade 1 through Grade 6 level rapids when white water rafting and today we got to do mostly 3s, 4s, and 5s. The girls who had been in the Colorado before said they only got to do 3s and a few 4s. Also, before they dammed up part of the river for energy producing purposes, the spot we were rafting in today was one of the top 5 rafting spots in the world. Finally, soon the entire river will be dammed up and rafting won’t be offered here anymore. It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

(Mom, you might want to skip this part)

The rapids were incredible. There were literally times when you are floating along and it looked like the river stopped, only it was just a big drop off. The rapids honestly didn’t look that scary when we approached them, but after finishing them and looking back we would all kind of look at each other and say “Holy crap I can’t believe we just did that”.

We bought a video today, so once I get back home, I’ll be able to show them to you. You won’t believe some of the spots we went down. If I hadn’t done them myself I probably wouldn’t believe them.

I really only had 3 incidents. One rapid I lost my paddle, and another I almost fell out but the guide pulled me back in.

The last one, our raft flipped over. The rapid we were going down is called 50/50 because on average, 50% of the rafts flip over on that rapid, and we were one of the 50%. You know when you dive into the pool and you try to come back up, but there is a floaty above you and you panic for a few seconds because you think you are drowning?

This was like that. On a much larger scale.

I didn’t have time to catch my breath before we flipped and when I tried to come back up the raft was on top of me. There were a few seconds (maybe 3 max, but it felt like a minute at least to me) where I didn’t think I was going to come to the top.

I really thought I might be meeting Jesus.

I think though that that is just the feeling that being underwater in rapids gives you, because everyone in our raft felt the same way.

With the exception of those 3 seconds, it was a blast. The only part that I didn’t like was waiting. Since Nathan was the leader of the guides, we were almost always the first group to arrive at the rapids and one of the last groups to go down. This meant that we waited at the pool above the rapids for a while. Waited and stared at the rapids we were about to go down. It was rather nerve racking.

At one point, we went down a 4 meter (I don’t know the conversion to feet) waterfall backwards! It was so awesome!

We also got to do some swimming in the Nile during the flat parts.

Include in our charge was all you can eat lunch and dinner. Lunch was sandwiches. Sandwiches with real cheese and real meat and real bread and real mayonnaise. I never thought I would appreciate a sandwich so much. Seriously. Dinner was chapatti and grilled meat and pineapples. We also got to try some Nile Special (African beer). It was awesome.

On the drive home, we went through more beautiful backcountry and saw an amazing African sunset. The drive was almost 2 hours long and on the way home I had a great chat with Brittney about life and ministry and our experience so far with Empower A Child.

Overall, it was a great great great day. A day that makes you really appreciate God’s creation. Every inch of the Nile River is beautiful!

Rafting does, however, take it out of you. I am completely spent and headed to bed.

Today’s word: Mazzi (ma zee) which means water.

Definitely swallowed plenty of Nile mazzi today,
Jenna

An African Outing

2009-06-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today was such an awesome day! We woke up early and left at 8 for Mityana. My group was Ty (one of the boys from Texas) and Joseph, a Ugandan. It was quite a long journey. First, we took a taxi downtown then; we walked to the taxi park. The taxi park is where the taxis going all over the country pick up customers. The way it works is each area of the park is going to a different town. I wish you could have seen it. It was crazy!

There are probably at least 200 taxis crammed into this little area. Many of the taxis get trapped in by other taxis parked all around them. Joseph told us that many times the taxi drivers will get into fights when they block each other in. Additionally, this part of the city is REALLy dirty. There is trash and dirt everywhere. This is also where many of the drunks in the town hang out. Many of the men there would yell things at me. Joseph wouldn’t tell me what they were saying, but I’m assuming it was pretty inappropriate.

The taxis hold 14 people and the drivers refuse to leave until their taxis are full, so we had to wait a while for our taxi to fill up. Then we drove the 3 hours to Mityana. It took extra time to get there because the drivers stop and let people out along the way and then refuse to leave until that seat is filled again.

I slept for some of the trip and the looked out the window the rest of the trip. The Uganda country side is so beautiful. It’s hilly and covered with trees and not developed so it’s beautiful. I tried to take some pictures of it, but I don’t think the pictures I took really capture the idea of it.

When we arrived at Mityana we had to take a boda boda to a smaller village outside of the village. Riding the boda boda was very interesting. You get on the back of someone’s bike, and hold on for dear life. It’s not as scary as it looks though. I think when you are riding on the boda bodas you feel like you are going much slower than it looks like you’re going. I’m not sure that makes sense.

Anyways, the boda bodas could only go so far, so they dropped us off, and we walked through the literal jungle for about a mile until we arrived at the boy’s school. The school was just basic straw and cement huts and there were tons of kids there. It was shocking. Our arrival disrupted their lessons. All of the kids stopped listening to their teachers and started staring and waving at us through the windows. They rarely see white people so us being there was a treat for them.

We filled out the required forms on the two boys, Tony and Keneth, who are brothers. We basically just ask them questions from the form and then write down what they say. After finishing that, we asked them questions about their life and stuff, I gave them some cookies I had in my purse, we prayed together, and then Tony and Keneth took us to their home.

Those boys literally walk 5 miles to school every day! It was a long and hot and dusty. When we arrived at their home, we got to see the mud hut they used to live in, and the cement hut they now live in, some of which was paid for by their sponsorship money.

We also got to meet their family. Tony and Keneth live with their grandmother (their dad’s mom), their dad died a few years and when their dad died, their mom left them. We also got to meet 2 of their aunts and an uncle. Their grandmother went on and on about how beautiful I was and tried to convince me to marry one of her sons several times. It was hilarious.

We helped the boys bring in water, which is one of their chores. We had to carry water jugs about half a mile to a giant tree where water collects at the roots. The water was so dirty and the jugs had mold growing on the inside. You couldn’t have paid me enough money to get me to drink or bathe in that water. I felt so bad for those boys.

Isn’t it weird how we take the simplest things for granted? Those boys walk half a mile to get dirty water. I complain when my iPod doesn’t work and I can’t afford a shirt I want. I’m so blessed and sometimes I can’t see it. I am such a brat.

After visiting with the family for a while and praying with them, we headed to the boda boda stop about half a mile away from the boys home. We had to wait forever for 2 boda bodas to come by. While we were waiting, one of the boy’s aunts gave us cokes from her shop. We also tried to teach the boys Rock, Paper, Scissors. They didn’t really get it.

Pretty soon, word spread that monzugus were in the village and a bunch of kids came out. We played with a few of them, but some of them were scared of us. Joseph told us it was because they had never ever seen a white person before.

I had some zebra gum in my purse and we gave each kid a piece and showed them how to use the wrappers to give themselves tattoos. They were fascinated, even the adults. It was so funny. I am amazed by the little things we take for granted that the people here are so surprised by,

We rode the boda bodas back to Mityana. This time, the boda bodas took us the long way around so we wouldn’t have to walk through the jungle, but that meant we rode on the dusty rode for about 15 minutes. It got so dusty when cars drove by that you couldn’t even see. I got so dirty.

Seriously, when I looked at pictures from today I look like I got a tan. Don’t be fooled. It’s literally a thin layer of dirt all over my body. I had dirt lines from my sandals and shirt. It was awesome.

When we got back into town we stopped at the cleanest local restaurant we could find. Ty and I weren’t brave enough to get anything besides chicken and chips (fries). They were pretty good, but the ketchup here tastes just like sweet and sour sauce.

By this time, I REALLY needed to go to the bathroom. Up until this point, I have been able to hold it until we got back to the house from outings. Not so today. I finally had to bit the bullet and pee in an African toilet.

Have you ever seen Slumdog Millionaire? You know the scene where the kid is in the toilet and he jumps into the poop so he can see his hero? It wasn’t that bad, so don’t get scared, but I say that to say that that’s what the toilets look like, only, lucky for me, the floor is cement instead of wood so you don’t have to look at what is underneath you.

It was relatively clean, but smelled horrible. Luckily, I was wearing a skirt which made the ordeal much easier. Also lucky, I had tissues in my purse for cleaning up. Overall, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. But thank God for hand sanitizer!

During lunch, we had some great conversations. We talked about where we see ourselves in five years. Joseph also told us all about child sacrifices here in Uganda. Apparently, whenever they are building a new building, it is considers good luck to kill a child, grind his or her body into little pieces and put them into the cement foundation of the building. Children are kidnapped on a daily basis for child sacrifices because people will also do them in hopes of helping themselves to become rich. It made me sick to my stomach.

On a side note, if you circumcised your child or pierce their ears, then they can’t be used for child sacrifices because they have already bled. If one of you uses that piece of trivia to win the million dollar question, I hope you’ll give me a part of it.

The taxi ride back to Kampala was awful. Because it was one of the last trips of the day, the taxi driver tried to cram as many people into the taxi as possible. There were 21 people in a 14 person taxi for the whole ride. It was awful.

Tonight we are just hanging out at the house and resting up for white water rafting tomorrow. I’m on dishes duty again tonight so I better get to it!

Today’s word: sula bulgi (sew la bu lun gee) which means goodnight.

Sula Bulgi everyone,
Jenna

June 11th (the internet was out last night)

2009-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Sanuyu baby’s home to play with the kids again. I wasn’t able to play with Raymond because Felix wanted me to do some therapy with a few of the kids there. It was extremely frustrating. The “therapist” that works at the baby’s home isn’t even really a therapist, but rather does something with bones. I couldn’t really understand what he does, but he only comes to the home twice a week. To be completely honest, he was kind of a know it all, and refused to listen to any of my comments or suggestions. I tried to be respectful and critique him without being rude, but I’m pretty sure he thought I was just some stupid American.

Again to be honest, nothing he did with the kids made sense, and some things were just plain wrong. I worked with 3 kids today. The first one, Francis, has cerebral palsy. Francis has very tight, or as therapists call them, hypertonic muscles. You aren’t supposed to pull or tug on the limbs of these kids because it makes their hypertonicity worse. Francis’s “treatment” with the therapist consisted mostly of pulling and tugging on his limbs. At the age of 2, Francis can still not bring his head to midline, can’t sit up straight, and is still drinking out of a bottle. It broke my heart to see him and know that if he had been born in America, he would be so much further in his progress.

The 2nd girl, Anita, is just weak and slightly developmentally delayed. She is about 8 months old and can’t sit up yet. Instead of doing exercises that would work on strengthening her trunk muscles, the therapist would only allow me to massage her shoulders, arms, and stomach with baby oil. I’m still trying to figure out the logic behind that.

The final child, Godwin, is 3 years old. Someone somewhere told the home that he has autism. I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t the case. Autistic kids never make eye contact, never initiate social contact, and rarely, if ever speak. When I walked into the classroom to get him, Godwin walked up to me, looked me in the eyes and said “Up, please.” He also responds to all the commands that his teachers give him the first time, asks for more food and drink when he wants them, and plays well with his classmates. He is a little slow (I think he has slight mental retardation) and some speech problems, but I really don’t think he is autistic.

Regardless of what he has, the treatment for Godwin’s “autism” was very interesting. At first, the therapist told me that they were considering cutting the flap of skin under his tongue to help him talk, but since he had started making some words, he didn’t need that anymore. Instead, I massaged his neck with baby oil while singing songs to him. That was the recommended treatment.

On a side note, on the board on the therapy room, the therapist had placed a list of symptoms of autism so that it would be easy to recognize in other children that come in. One of the symptoms of autism is “twinkling eyes”, another is excessive drooling. Please know that this is not really the case.

I’m not an expert on therapy by any means, but I did know a few things that we could have done to help them. It was so frustrating to not be able to say anything to him and to not have him listen to my opinions. It broke my heart knowing the kind of treatment those kids could have gotten in America.

Felix says that hopefully the next time we go the therapist won’t be there and I can show him some exercises. We are also going to work on adjusting Francis’s chair so that the nurses will actually sit him in it instead of having him lay in bed all day.

After the baby’s home we came home for a quick lunch and then went to Remand home. We sang and played games and Ty gave a message. Then we hung out with the kids again. One of the boys from last week, Moses, came and talked to me again. A bunch of the other kids from today were really fun too. Chris, David, Jared, Justin, and Moses were all in my group and they were great kids. Two of them (Chris and Moses) asked me to bring them Bibles next time we come, it was great to just have conversations with them, even though it was hard to communicate at times because of the boys bad English.

Moses loves to play Rock, Paper, Scissors and we also tore up the dance floor today. He taught me how to dance to some African drum and I thought him some lame white girl moves. It was awesome.

Today, Moses also told me what he is at Remand home for. Sort of, he said defilement, which here in Uganda means some sort of sexual crime. That taught me quite a lot. If I had know that before I had gotten to know Moses, than I never would have talked to him. But knowing him before I found out made it very easy to forgive whatever it is that he did. To be honest, it didn’t even faze me. He’s a great kid who made a mistake. Isn’t it weird how judgmental we can be sometimes?

Tonight we are just hanging out at the house. Tomorrow morning we are splitting up into groups and going to visit all the kids who are sponsored by Empower A Child. Each Ugandan has one or two MSTs going with them. Some groups are staying in Kampala and others are going really far away. My group is going to visit 2 children 3 hours away. We have to leave at 8 tomorrow morning. It’s going to be a long day.

Tonight the internet was out. It’s amazing what you can find to do for entertainment when you have no TV or internet. Tonight, Emily introduced us to a game called star tripping. Basically, you spin around as fast as you can for 30 seconds at the stars, then someone shines a flashlight in your eyes. For some reason, you immediately fall over. I think it’s the shock to your vestibular system. It is by far one of the funniest things I have done or seen so far in Africa.

Finally, I am thinking of getting my hair braided like the women do here. Over the next 3 weeks we are going on 2 different 4 day village trips. These trips will provide no opportunity to bath (or wash my hair). The braids would at least keep my hair from looking gross. Thoughts and opinions on this topic are welcomed.

Today’s Luganda word we learned yesterday when we took the kids swimming (they had to swim naked): Jamu engoye (jam mew en goya) or take off your clothes.

Keeping my clothes on,
Jenna

Swimming with Babies

2009-06-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! We woke up and had devotionals, and after devotionals we headed to Katawalma children’s hospital. My group’s job today was to talk and pray with the parents of the children at the hospital. I went with Jeff, a Ugandan, so that he could translate for me. We met with four different families. The first family had a son with bow legs. They were waiting to meet with the doctors to see what the doctors could do for them. The 2nd family had a small daughter with bow legs. The family was Muslim, but unfortunately, they did not speak Luganda so we had no way of communicating with them. The little girl was terrified of me because she thought that all white people were doctors. I felt so bad making her scared and being unable to tell her that I wasn’t a doctor.

The next family was a boy who had broken his arm and his father. The boy had broken his arm almost 8 months, and Ugandans doctors had unsuccessfully tried to heal him. They left him with a huge lump on his wrist, and the father and son were trying to see what the surgeons could do for him.

The final father and son pair we saw were very sad. The son had fallen from a tree and required a bunch of back and leg surgeries to repair all the damages. The father told us that a Ugandan doctor had estimated the surgeries to cost around 6,000 US dollars. A Canadian surgeon had found a way to get the UN to pay for his surgeries, but the Ugandan doctor wanted to keep the money for himself and had purposefully lost the paperwork required for the surgery. The Canadian doctor had found out and refilled the paperwork, but they were still waiting to hear the results.

As it turns out, the health care system in Uganda is very corrupt. Most of the doctors and nurses will give priority to patients to whose families will pay them extra, this means that the poor are at an extreme disadvantage.

One thing from the morning that really frustrated me was communication. The healthcare provider in me wanted to know exactly what had happened to each patient and exactly what surgeries and treatments were being provided. Most of the patients could only tell us that something had been broken and something had been operated on. It was very frustrating.

Also frustrating? The therapists and surgeons were in a meeting the entire morning, so I still didn’t get to view any therapy. Hopefully next week.

Despite all the frustrations, I still love the hospital. All the kids there are so adorable!

After the hospital we came home and ate a quick lunch and then spilt into 3 groups to go to 3 different high schools. My group went to Kiva Ka high school and met with a group of students during their lunch hour. We sang a few songs, played a few games, and then Kevin gave a short message.

Perhaps the best part of this trip was the conversation we had on the way there. Benon made everyone share their testimony and it was really interesting to hear everyone’s stories.

Once we got back, we had to leave immediately to take the kids from Sanyu baby’s home swimming. We got there, got assigned a kid, got our kid dressed and headed to the pool. My kid was a 2 year old named Raymond. He was absolutely adorable! He is at the stage where he is learning how to talk so he tries to repeat everything you say. It was so cute.

He wasn’t, however, a huge fan of the water. He clung to me the entire time and refused to be spun around, dipped or anything. He was shivering the entire time because all the kids had to swim naked. He also cried whenever he was splashed. We only lasted about 15 minutes.

After eating a snack and getting dressed, Raymond and I spent the rest of the time moving a red chair around the garden and waving hello and goodbye to cars and trucks.

It took us almost an hour to get back to the house in rush hour traffic, and Raymond just sat calmly with me while the rest of the babies cried. When we got back, I also got to feed him dinner. Raymond cried when I left.

I think it’s safe to say I am in love with Raymond. I’m currently working on finding a way to sneak him into my suitcase back home. Unless mom and dad, you are interested in finally getting me and Ally that little brother we asked for every Christmas growing up!

I know you’re laughing, but I’m not making a joke.

Maybe about the suitcase part.

Right now it’s only about 9 pm but I feel like it might be 2 in the morning. I am absolutely spent. Tomorrow we are getting up early to go back to the baby’s home. Felix the therapist has asked me to look at a baby with cerebral palsy and do some treatments on him, so I’m excited about going (Laura, I may need you to e-mail me some notes!).

Today’s word: Nkwangala nnyo (In quad ga la an yo) which means “I love you a lot”

Nkwangala nnyo guys,
Jenna

Heroes Day

2009-06-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today was another interesting day. We woke up and had devotions. Today was another national holiday in Uganda, Heroes Day. Apparently, in Uganda, you can only be a hero if you’re dead so Benon had us talk about what we want people to say about us when we are dead. It’s an interesting question. I had to go first, so I didn’t have much time to think about it, so at first I said that I would want people to say that I followed Christ’s plan for my life and that I was a good mom and wife. Don’t judge me! I was under pressure.

After some thought, I think that I would like for people to say that they knew I was a Christian by my actions. That I didn’t have to profess my faith in Christ for people to know that I was a Christ follower. That I was a woman of God and that my home, family, work, leisure, and everything else I did represented that.

Another one of the Ugandans, Joseph said “Your life means nothing if you have nothing worth dying for” while he was sharing. I liked that.

I’m also reading In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day. Today, the chapter kind of went along with the devotions. I really liked the quote that said, “Are you living a life worth telling stories about?” Something to ponder to each of our lives I think.

After devotions we had evaluation time. This is basically a time for us to share what we think Empower A Child can improve on. We talked about making more team building opportunities, so on Saturday we are having a “No Talent” Talent show. It should be fun. We also talked about giving the volunteers an opportunity to do more personal ministries during the week. I am really excited about this opportunity.

After the meetings and lunch we went to Kids In Need home. Kids In Need is similar to Remand Home except that none of the kids there have been arrested. All the kids there were so cute and fun! We sang songs and gave a message and played with them. I talked with 2 boys named Peter and Yemen. They are really nice and I am looking forward to talking with them again next week.

On a side note, I am beginning to discover that my favorite game to play with African children is what I like to call “Faces Game”. Basically, you get the kids to make faces, take pictures of them, and then you both laugh at the pictures. Every kid I’ve met so far loves it, and so do I!

After Kids In Need we went back to the school from the other day and played soccer, basketball, football, and ultimate Frisbee. There weren’t many kids there so we only stayed for an hour or so, but it was still a good time.

Dinner was spaghetti and rice crispy treats. Unfortunately, the only marshmellow flavor they have here is strawberry (weird!) and it made the rice crispy treats interesting to say the least.

Brittney and I did the dishes tonight. It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but dishes definitely don’t get as clean here as they do back home. I’m pretty sure some of you would be disgusted by the level of sanitation we have here.

Tomorrow we are going to Katawalma children’s hospital, to a Scripture Union at a local school, and to take the 2 and 3 year olds at Sanuyu babies home swimming (I am uber excited about this). It should be a great day!

Today’s word: Yesu. This one is easy, it’s Jesus in Luganda!

Excited for tomorrow,
Jenna

Planning Day

2009-06-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Mondays are planning days, which means we don’t do much ministry. This morning, we woke up and had devotionals. Devotionals consist of singing, sharing what God has been teaching us, and then reading and discussing a verse. This morning’s verse was from Matthew “where your treasure is there your heart will be also”. It was an interesting verse to talk about. Sometimes, I like to think that I do a good job of not caring about earthly things then, I start to think of all the people I have been seeing lately. I think of the lady from yesterday with a run down hut who paid for lunch for 60 people, and I think of the kids who have 2 sets of clothes and yet have a huge joy for the Lord, and people from church who gave fruits and vegetables because that’s all they had to give. I start to think about all those things and then I start to think that I could probably do a MUCH better job.

I’ve found in Africa that I can live without running water, air conditioning, television, and high speed internet, and the more I think about the things I have back home, the more I think I value earthly things way too much.

After devotionals, we went to the African craft market. It was so much fun! Both of the vans are broken down today, so we had to take a taxi. The taxi drivers here charge Monzugu double for riding in a taxi, so the Ugandans have to trick them by settling on a price before they realize they are driving us. The vans we drive in usually are old taxis (they seat up to 17 people!) so other than that it was just the same as usual.

The craft market is interesting, they have a ton of stuff and everything is super cheap. I got some presents for a few people, but I’ll probably go back a few times to get everyone off my list. You can also barter like in Mexico, which I love! The only bad thing is that they charge Monzugus extra here too. Next time, I might give Amanda my shopping list and have her get the things for me for cheaper.

After we got back we had some lunch and then we had meetings to prepare for the week. I am posting the weekly schedule on the calendar at jennacoe.shutterfly.com, you can go check it out. I really don’t see a point in writing it on here, because you can just read it as it happens.

I do, however, want to tell you that on Saturday I am going white water rafting on the Nile River! How awesome is that? Seriously. How many people can say that they have white water rafted in the Nile? I am so blessed. Thank you guys so much for helping to get me here.

It’s going to cost me 250,000 shillings, or $125 dollars, but I think an experience like that is worth every penny.

Some people in my group are also bungee jumping. I love living and hate heights too much to ever do that.

We also practiced songs and skits that we will perform this week.

After practice, Amy left. I didn’t know her that well, so it wasn’t that sad, but our room does feel different now. Before she left, Amy told me that the time flies by. Watching how sad she was about leaving made me sad about the end of July. I miss home and I know I’m going to get homesick, but today mad me realize what a short time I have here. I plan on appreciating every minute of it!

Now, we are just hanging out at the house. The girls in charge of dinner tonight are making pancakes! I can’t wait.

Emily, Brittney, and I are on dishes duty two nights this week. Dishes for 40 people, times 3 meals, with water that sometimes doesn’t work. Should be awesome.

On a side note, I found out today that water hasn’t been working in the evening because of construction. I could get up early in the morning and take a real shower, but to be honest, I care more about sleep than I do about a real shower. I guess Africa is already changing me!

Today’s word: Webelenyo (way-bay-len-o) which means thank you very much.

Webelenyo for all your prayers and support,
Jenna

P.S. Completely unrelated to Africa: both of my favorite youth groups are at camp this week. The youth group at First Baptist Church Georgetown and The Connection Church at Kyle are both leaving for camp right now, I think. It's 9 pm here so 1 there? They might already be arriving. Anyways, pray for safety and for the Lord to move in everyone's life!

Also, you should check out the site awkwardfamilyphotos.com. It is hilarious and makes me laugh almost everyday I'm here.

An African Sunday

2009-06-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today was my first time at a real African church. It was incredible! The church was at a run down building. I didn’t want to take pictures because I was afraid they might think it was rude, but it definitely wasn’t anything like First Baptist Georgetown! It was a one room building with peeling yellowing paint and a straw roof. There were some “windows” which were just holes in the wall, and it was so hot in there!

The church runs about 30 people on a Sunday, because it just started, and there are about 35 people in our group when you add in the Ugandan volunteers, so we doubled their church attendance.

Everyone is so full of joy! The church choir sang us a few songs and there was tons of clapping, singing, dancing, yelling, and jumping. It was awesome. After the choir sang, our group led the rest of worship. We sing a few songs in English, but most of our songs are in Swahili or Luganda. Unfortunately, you learn the songs for the week at the weekly Monday meetings, which I missed this week. This means, that whenever we perform songs, I stand at the back and pretend like I’m mouthing the words. I’m sure I look ridiculous. Joseph, one of the Ugandans, has promised to teach me the words tomorrow.

Two of the boys in our group gave the sermon. It was really was really good message on hope. It was really cool to hear them speak in English and then listen to Colin translate everything in Luganda. We also took an offering. Instead of leaving cash, some people leave mangos, passion fruits, etc. It’s really interesting! I suppose God doesn’t care as long as you give your 10%. Actually, He probably appreciates it more, because those fruits mean more to those people than our 10% means to us.

After the sermon and offering, they have “announcements”. If I were a little kid, “announcements” would make me dislike church. “Announcements” consists of all the church elders coming up and giving mini sermons. Long, boring mini sermons. Seriously, the regular service lasted an hour, and the announcements lasted another hour.

After church, we played around with the kids for a bit. We also passed out the smiley face stickers and sunglasses you guys bought. The kids loved them!

Then, we headed to a local woman’s home in the village. She and her family paid for food for our entire group, and the entire congregation, even though she and her family were so in need. Their house looked similar to the ones we saw on Thursday. I am always so stunned by how nice and giving everyone is here!

Today I ate goat, rice, beans, and matooke (ma-toe-kay). Matooke is mashed up bananas with something done to it. I don’t know what the something is, but matooke is awful. It tastes like eating play dough or something. I’m not sure, but I definitely didn’t like it. Goat meat is pretty good, a little tough, but tasty.

On the way home from church the vans were full so I road back with one of the Ugandan volunteers who had brought their own car. I know I told you yesterday that everyone here drives crazy, but I don’t think I understood the full effect until today. The van drivers must have been toning it down some us Americans, because the driver was crazy! We were going super fast and then braking right before the speed bumps that occur every 100 yards or so, we cut people off, we passed people and barely made it back into our lane before cars coming the other direction hit us. It was so scary!

After we got back, a boy named Brian (a fellow Texan) and I went to Chicken Express to get some food. Don’t worry for those of you Texans reading this; it is nothing like the Chicken Express at home. It was decent. I only had fries and a coke, but Brian let me have a bite of his chicken. It was nice to feel American again for a little bit.

We also went to the market again and I got another coke and some apple juice! I hope African apple juice is as good as American apple juice. On the way home, we tried sugar cane. You bite it, chew it and the sugary juice comes out. It’s pretty good, but it takes a lot of work to get there!

Tonight I helped with dinner, so I chopped enough tomatoes, onions, and green peppers to make pizzas for 35 people! It was a lot of chopping. The pizza was no Dominoes, but it was nice to have a little taste of home. Today has been such an American day!

No a side note, my body already doesn’t like the processed food we get in America. All my American eating has given me a little tummy ache!

Finally, I still haven’t taken a running water shower. Every morning, the water is working fine, and then in the evenings, it stops working. In protest, yesterday I only took a wash cloth bath. I probably won’t be protesting anymore. I feel so dirty.

Tomorrow we have team meetings to prepare for the week. Then, the rest of the day is a free day. I might go to the African craft market. Also, one of the girls who has been here for a while, Amy is leaving tomorrow. Everyone says that the house changes a bit each time a person leaves, so it will be interesting to experience the “new” house.

Today’s Luganda word: Jinda (jen-dee) which means fine. It is the typical response to oltya. Also, there is a special Ugandan handshake that goes along with this exchange. I can’t wait to teach it to you guys!

Doing Jinda,
Jenna

A Ugandan Debate

2009-06-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today was an unusual day to say the least. We woke up at 6 so that we could leave by 7 to get a to a school debate at a school an hour away at 8. Everything went according to plan until we arrived at the school and waited and waited and waited and waited. We waited until almost 10:30. We had to wait for the other competing schools to arrive, and for them to set up for the debate. Good thing we showed up so early right?

They have a saying at the house: TIA or “This Is Africa”. It’s basically a reminder to expect the unexpected and to have a good attitude about everything. In Uganda, everyone is very laid back about everything, especially time. I am starting to learn that leaving at 7 really means 7:15, and the debate starts at 8 really means the debate starts at 10:30. Those of you who know me well know that I fit in perfectly with this!

Anyways, the first part of the debate was actually a trivia competition. A girl named Brittany from Washington D.C. (fun fact about Brittney, she is a film major and helped to shoot the last Taking Back Sunday video) and I were on a team with 5 Ugandan boys from the school hosting the event, Mpoma. A Ugandan named Benon (the Empower A Child program director) was also on our team.

The boys on our team were very friendly and nice, and they had tons of questions about America and our education system. It was really fun just to chat with them and get to know them some. For a while, it felt like I was chatting with friends from home that I have know for a while.

The trivia turned out to be very frustrating. The man reading the questions was impossible to understand. When he first started talking, I told one of the boys in my group that they would have to translate the Luganda for me, to which he responded “He is speaking English”. Oops.

Additionally, many of the questions were worded differently making them difficult to comprehend, and many of them were just plain wrong.

For example, in Uganda:
1. The sun can not burn you
2. The Adam’s apple is made out of the larynx and not the hyoid bone
3. The Nile River is the king of the sea, not Poseidon
4. The Potter’s field is not the place bought with the money given to Judas after he betrayed Jesus.

Anyways, regardless of all of this, it was still a lot of fun to spend time with the boys on my team. We ended up having to leave before the actual debate even started so we could get home for lunch.

Lunch was rice and zucchini. I’m pretty sure I will have eaten my weight in rice by the time I leave. We have rice in at least one meal a day, usually two, sometimes all three. Brown rice, yellow rice, white rice. Good thing I like rice!

This afternoon was stormy, which eliminated our trip to the beach. Instead, we went to Green City, which is a local shopping mall about 15 minutes away to watch a movie. I was expecting the movies to be really old, but they weren’t that dated: Angels & Demons, Terminator, I Love You, Man, and something with 12 in the title. We saw Angels & Demons, which I had already seen, but it was still suspenseful for me the second time…I am such a nerd!

To continue to be open about my inner nerd, the movie theater had a poster up for the newest Harry Potter movie. I was really bummed about missing it while I am gone, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to see it while I am here.

We also had some Ugandan ice cream. It is decent, but definitely not as good as American ice cream. It also leaves an odd after taste in your mouth. Someone told me this is because of the milk in the ice cream. Ugandan milk isn’t nearly as processed as ours.

However, everything is so cheap in Uganda. Today I bought my ice cream, my ticket, and a bottle of water for 16,000 shillings or 8 dollars. You can’t even see a movie at those prices in Texas!

Tonight I helped in the kitchen making a birthday cake for Diana. She is a Ugandan who turned 20 today. I was really only helping a little. Your first week here, you get a pass, but every week after that you have a certain chore to do one day a week.

On a side note, as Ally has pointed out to me, being gone for so long as confused my driving sides. Ugandans drive on the right, we drive on the left. Sorry for the confusion. In my defense, it’s kind of hard to tell what side of the road people drive on here. There are so many holes in the road that it’s kind of like a free for all for everyone. The driving here is crazy! Everyone cuts each other off, no one waits, and everyone breaks at the very last minute. Its nuts! The roads are also very confusing. There’s no way I’d be able to get around her, even with a GPS!

Tomorrow, we are going back to Kyampisi for a church service. I am sooo excited about seeing a Ugandan church service. Also, rumor has it that our regular church services are at the Watoto children’s choir church. To say I am ultra excited about that would be an understatement.

Lastly, today’s word: Oltya (o-lee-o-te-ya) which means “How are you?”. It's commonly used as a greeting here.

Living the Life,
Jenna

Sorry It's So Long!

2009-06-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

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!

Day Two

2009-06-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last night, I only slept a little. I think my body is still on American time. I was so tired all day, and then, the second I laid down I felt wide awake. It was also my first night to sleep under a mosquito net. Life seems much more exciting when sleeping under a mosquito net.

Today was an awesome day. We went to Sanyu babies home today. It is a home for children under 3 years of age who have been orphaned. I know some of you back home have heard of the Watoto children’s choir. I found out today that if the children in the home are not adopted, then when they turn 3, they join the Watoto children’s choir. The home is absolutely awesome. We feed kids, hold kids, change kids, dress kids, bathe kids, and love on kids. It is right up my alley. I could do that all day everyday. The home also does adoption, and a few of the other volunteers that are there are adopting kids and are waiting for their adoption papers to go through. It was interesting to talk to them about their adoptions.

The kids are absolutely adorable. I am 95% sure that one of my children will come from this home. I know that is a bold statement, but I have always know that at least one of my children will be adopted, and I am so in love with this place and what they are doing there.

Also, Nic and Jo, you should get your next kid from here too. Seriously.

After time at the baby’s home, we went home for lunch and then we went to Ramand Juvenile home. The home is for 3 groups of youth. One group has actually committed crimes, one group is homeless youth that the cops have pulled off the streets and placed there, and one is children whose parents no longer want to raise them because of money or behavioral issues.

On a side note, many of the “criminals” are not guilty of the crimes they committed. Furthermore, most of the children are there for stealing, and many of them steal to pay for things like food and school.

This afternoon we played games, one of the boys in our group gave his testimony and then we broke up into groups and talked with the boys. I was in a group with boys named Fred, Robert and two other names that I cannot pronounce. Two of the boys were Muslims, but they had many questions about Jesus and the Bible.

The language difficulties between us made things a bit difficult, but we are going back every Thursday, and I am excited to see what this growing relationship can bring. Please pray for open hearts and language barriers to be broken.

When we got back, I walked to the market down the street and checked out the available foods at a Ugandan grocery store. I also exchanged my money and set up my phone. I’m not quite sure what my Ugandan phone number is yet, but I will let you know when I can.

Also, tonight I was excited to discover that everyone here loves Skip Bo! Me and a boy named Rawles dominated.

Tomorrow we are going into a local village to help build a nursery. We will also be playing with children and sharing the Gospel with some of the locals. Please pray for opened hearts for the people and clear words from me!

Trying to figure out how many children I’ll be able to fit into my suitcase to bring them home with me,
Jenna

P.S. I am going to start teaching you a new Luganda (one of the main local languages) word everyday. Today’s word:

Monzugu (mon zoo goo)-white person

Pretty much every child calls you this when they see you, and they think it’s really funny.

P.P.S. It’s looking like I won’t be able to post any more pictures. The internet connection is much to slow. I apologize. At least you’ll have something to look forward to when I get back!

First Day In Uganda

2009-06-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today was awesome! I landed in Entebbe, Uganda at about 7:45 am, 11:45 pm your time. I got my luggage, got through customs and met Ivan and Edith, two Empower-A-Child volunteers who are from Uganda. They drove me from Entebbe to Uganda, which takes about an hour. Edith explained some local food and customs to me. When I got here, everyone was getting ready to go out to the site, so I literally dropped my bags on a bed, put on some much needed deodorant and loaded up into the vans. The first site we went to today was Katawalma children’s hospital, which is really not a hospital at all. It’s actually a rehab hospital for children who have had surgeries and need therapy. I got to see how they make the wheelchairs, walkers, special shoes, crutches, and leg braces. It was right up my alley, and really interesting to see how assistive devices differ from our country to this one. Unfortunately, today was a national holiday called Martyrs Day, so none of the therapists were there. I can’t wait to see some therapy. After a tour, we played games, sang songs, and colored with the kids. It was a lot of fun. I also got to talk with a Ugandan guy from our group named Felix. He is going to school to be a rehabilitationist, which from his description sounds a lot like occupational therapy. We talked about his case load and the kids he sees out in the field. He said I can probably go out with him some to do some therapy. I am super excited about that.

After that we went home and had lunch. Cheese and tomato sandwiches, it sounds weird, I know, but it was actually really good. After lunch we headed to Good Choices school. The holiday meant no school for the kids, so we played with them and helped them clean up their school. I ended up picking up trash out of the mud for about an hour and taking trash cans back and forth from the yard to the cemetery in the back where they burn trash. We also brushed dirt and mud off of all the sidewalks and floors with some of the worst brooms I’ve ever seen. Needless to say, I was really dirty when we finished.

After that, we went to a Muslim school to play a basketball game against the high school’s basketball team. The school doesn’t know that the organization is a Christian one, and the organization uses games and other similar activities to get inside the school and build connections to help spread the gospel. It was awesome. Unfortunately, I was so tired that I was literally falling asleep standing up, so some of the staff made me go take short nap in the van.

When we got back, I had my orientation and unpacked my stuff. Dinner was chapatti which is like a buttery tortilla. They like to put rice, meat, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, peppers on it, similar to our fajitas, only less spicy.

The running water isn’t working tonight, which means that I took a shower out of a bucket. It was very Africa, but at that point, I was so dirty, I didn’t care. It’s currently 11 pm here and we are getting up early to go to the babies home. I am really excited about this site. But I am heading to bed because I am in desperate need of some sleep!

Loving Uganda,
Jenna

P.S. Today I found that I am going on safari from June 26th to June 28th. This means that I’ll be on an African safari on my birthday! It doesn’t get much cooler than that.

P.P.S. Laura, tell your brother thanks for the tip about the router. Everyone was so excited about it and its working great!

24 Things In 24 Hours

2009-06-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'd like to share with you 24 things I learned over the past 24 hours:

1. I learned that I won a Kindle! Those of you who read my blog before my trip (all 3 of you) know that I have been wanting a Kindle for quite a while. I even wrote about how I wanted one in a few of my other, older blogs.

A few weeks ago, I went to a church conference called Catalyst One Day. There were a ton of people there and they only gave away one kindle for free...and I got a call yesterday on the way to the airport that I was the one!

The only bad part is that now I won't get to play with it until August, but still, totally awesome.

You can check out Catalyst's website HERE and you can see what a Kindle is HERE.

2. I learned that young children should not be allowed on international flights. You guys know me and you know I love kids, but I do not love kids who cry throughout a 9 hour flight and I certainly do not love kids who allow me less than 30 minutes of sleep.

3. I learned why TV shows make fun of coach seats. Normally, I fly Southwest were all the seats are equal. There is a definite difference between coach, business class, and first class on British airways.

4. I learned that the new airport rule is that not only are you only allowed liquids in 3 oz or smaller bottles, these bottles must all fit inside a sandwich sized plastic bag. I had to throw away one of my bottles of sunscreen. My pasty white self needed that bottle!

5. I learned that no matter what you say with a British accent, it will sound good. It could be the ugliest sentence or word in the English language, and a Brit could make it sound good. Its just that simple.

6. I learned not to eat suspicious looking yogurt given to you on the plane as it will make you sick to your stomach all day.

7. I learned how to navigate the London subway system. It think its much easier than driving!

8. I learned that Canadians are friendly. Today, I helped a Canadian woman find Kensington Palace. Then we started chatting and ended up taking the palace tour together. She was probably 60 something, gave me a caramel candy and called me love. It was wonderful.

9. I learned that the road signs in London are much less visible than they are in Texas. I found walking around London to be much more difficult than taking the subway.

10. I learned that in London, if you just walk around for a while, you'll find something interesting to do and eventually, you'll get where you were trying to go in the first place. Today I set out to find Kensington Palace and found the Natural History Museum and Hyde Park first before stumbling upon my original destination.

11. I learned that the water in the Princess Diana Memorial fountain is really cold:

12. I learned that Brit's are very friendly. Everyone of them answered all my questions with a smile.

13. I learned that the Kensington Palace is a beautiful and historical place (see below). I really enjoyed touring it. I got to see a lot of rooms in the palace, and they had a cool exhibit on Princess Diana's famous outfits. I used to love Princess Diana when I was younger, so it was cool to see that and to visit her memorial (see above)

14. I learned that no matter how cool you are, when you take an audio tour, you are automatically going to look like a nerd. I don't think there are any exceptions to this rule. If I could Photoshop, I would Photoshop an ultra cool celebrity wearing audio tour gear and prove it to you, but I can't, so you'll just have to trust me.

15. I learned that in general, Europeans are 92% cooler than Americans. I can't yet prove that statistic, but I'm pretty sure its true.

16. I learned that the Brit's were nice enough to put writing on the ground to tell you which direction you should look for cars from. I kept trying to look for cars coming in the direction they would be coming from if I were in the States! Whoever came up with the "look right" and "look left" signs on the pavement: genius. You probably saved my life today.

17. I learned that parks in the middle of cities are beautiful because they are unexpected and I suspect because the people in the city appreciate them. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens were wonderfully beautiful.

18. I learned that you should confirm that a person you are going to ask a question of actually speaks English before you end up having a confusing, broken English conversation with them. I wish I wasn't so inept at other lanuages.

19. I learned some British translations: litter-trash, loo-restroom, holiday-vacation, lift-elevator, tube-subway, bless you-have a good day, bugger-rascal, peckish-hungry

20. I learned that you should time your trips out of the airport better so that you don't sit in the terminal for 4 hours waiting for your flight and having to make lists of things you learned so you don't die of boredom.

21. I learned that there was a small group of college kids on my flight from Dallas to London that will also be on my flight from London to Uganda. They are going to do mission work in a small town outside of Kampala. They are not with my group, but I hope I get to sit by them and talk with them some more about what they will be doing.

22. I learned the flip flops I was wearing are not ideal for walking around London.

23. I learned that the architecture in London is gorgeous. All the building are so pretty!

24. I learned that all the extra money you donated to Empower A Child will be used to help build a youth vocational training center. You are helping kids in Uganda learn a vocation and end the cycle of poverty in their families and communities...I started tearing up writing that. Seriously, you guys are AWESOME!

The next time you hear from me, I'll be in Uganda.

Loving London,
Jenna

P.S. I know that technically for you, it hasn't been 24 hours since I left, but over here, its 8 PM, so it has been for me.

P.P.S. In case you're wondering, if I've done my math right, Uganda will be 8 hours ahead of you guys.

P.P.P.S. I'm trying to load my pictures from today so within the hour, you should be able to see them HERE

Sorry for all the PS's but I didn't want to ruin my list of 24.

The Journey Begins!

2009-06-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

So today’s the big day. I’m currently in the car on the way to the Dallas Fort Worth airport, but by the time you read this, I’ll probably be in the air on the way to London. I’m spending the day in London tomorrow before flying the rest of the way to Uganda.

I must admit, the nerves are getting to me a bit, but I’m more excited nervous, I can’t wait to get this adventure started!

Before I go, I wanted to take the time to thank some people who have made this trip possible:

1. First of all, I’d like to thank you. If you’re reading this, unless you’re some internet stalker, you probably know me and have supported me in some way. Some of you gave financially, some of you gave of your time, some of you gave in other ways, some of you are praying, some of you listened to me talk about my trip, some of you helped me see that I wasn’t crazy for wanting to go, all of you loved and supported me and without you, I wouldn’t be on my way, so thank you for whatever you contributed.

2. Thanks to Nic, Brett, and Brian for filling out my reference forms, I don’t know what you said in them, but at least some of it must have been good, because they’re letting me come for a bit.

3. Thanks to Brett, Nic, Charlotte, and Mrs. Evans for helping to organize the finances of this adventure.

4. While I’m at it, thanks to those of you who gave financially, whether you gave $10 or $1300. I was about $2150 over my goal. That is incredible. All of that money is going to benefit the Empower-A-Child organization, and your gifts made that possible. Seriously, I can not express enough how overwhelmed I was by your generosity in a not so great economy. You guys are awesome!

5. Special thank to the Guthrie, Arana, and Spruill families. I didn’t really have that much to sell in my garage sale, but your donations filled up my entire yard and helped me raise over 450 dollars!

6. Thanks to those of you who have committed to pray for me. This trip could not and will not be successful without prayer. Your prayers are sure going to help when things get hard and I get homesick. Thank you in advance for caring enough about me to pray for me. It really means a lot.

7. Thanks to Nic, Jo, Brett, Amanda, Brian, Chastity, and David. I told you about this trip when it was still just an idea and rather than treating me like I was crazy, you listened to me, talked me through it, and prayed for me about it. You’re support means more to me than you will ever know.

8. Thanks to my roommates and friends in San Marcos. You prayed for me when I didn’t think the finances were going to come through, you helped me prepare my letters, you never questioned my decision, and you got just as excited as I did when checks came in. You guys are such a blessing to my life.

9. Thanks to Shelby for helping me out on Thursday while I was preparing. When I woke up Thursday morning I was feeling extremely stressed out about all I had to do. After praying about it, Shelby called literally 5 minutes later and volunteered to help me run errands all afternoon. It was truly an answer to my prayers and a comfort knowing that God is looking out for all aspects of this trip. Shelby, I know you were bummed about not being able to give more, but seriously, you’re willingness to give of your time meant so much to me. Thank you so much!

10. Thanks to mom and dad for being so supportive. I know it’s a pretty scary thing to send your kid to Africa. You probably could have raised a much bigger fuss than you did. You probably could have chained me to a chair and refused to let me go like George suggested. Or done something a little more sneaky like “losing” my birth certificate so I couldn’t get my passport. Either way, you didn’t. You raised a much smaller fuss than I expected. You probably paid for more small items (and big) from last minute trips to the store than either of us realize (just wait until the credit card bill comes in :)). Thanks for all the money, for helping me pack, for helping with paperwork, for driving me 3 hours and back to the airport, and for supporting my trip even though you’re not too terribly found of the idea. The way I see it, it’s kind of your fault I’m going. If you guys had done a crappier job of raising me, I probably wouldn’t care so much about other people. So way to go.

I’m just kidding, but seriously, you guys are the best parents ever. I love you!

11. Last but not least, a special thanks goes to Ally. Even though you piss me off sometimes, you’ve done more for this trip then anyone else. Trips back and forth to the church to drop off checks, bringing garage sale donations to San Marcos, staying up really late and getting up really early to put together the garage sale, dealing with crazy garage sale junkies, helping me pack, going to REI to help me find some “special” items, and running last minute errands. You’ve done it all and you’re the best sister a girl could ask for. Love you!

Also, thanks for writing that letter and making me look like a crying dork in the airport. You're not half as a bad sister as you think you are.

Actually, you're not bad at all...you're wonderful!

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably done something for my trip, and even if it seems small to you, it’s a big deal to me. I wish I could do a better job of expressing my gratitude, but really, without you guys, this trip would not be happening. So thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I love each and every one of you.

Leaving on a Jet Plane,
Jenna

P.S. Check out my other site HERE (click the here, dad) for a new video.

P.P.S. Jonathon please do not judge my skills. Its my first video and I did it really fast at the airport.

Changes

2009-05-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I gave back my keys to the Scott Street house. It was an extremely odd moment. I guess when I pictured moving out, I expected some kind of lavish goodbye. I don't really know what this lavish goodbye would have involved, perhaps some doves and that song from Remember the Titans playing as I walked out the door (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye anyone?).

To me, moving away from San Marcos represents a huge change. Even though I havn't yet received my diploma, I'll be working a full time job when I return, and therefore, college is over. No more sleeping in class, no more staying up until 2 in the morning playing board games, no more coming home to roommates that I love. Even though I don't feel like it, I'm pretty sure the world expects me to be a grown up now.

I'm not really feeling that.

What's funny is that when I first went to Texas State, I wasn't such a fan. I came home every weekend. I thought about transferring. I only showered twice a week (Monday-Friday) in the dorms because I caught lesbians having what we will call "relations" in the shower on more than one occasion.

Then I made friends that made college bearable. Enjoyable even. I found things that I liked to do and eventually, I called San Marcos home and didn't want to come back to Georgetown.

College is great because its similar to playing house. You can pretend like you're a grown up, living on your own and making your own decisions and paying for things, but the reality is, if you screw it up, your parents will be there to clean up your mistakes.

Adulthood does not offer this kind of security.

To me handing over those keys represented the end of college and the beginning of adulthood. The closing of one book and the starting of another.

I guess I expected such a huge change to come with some dramatic showing.

It case your wondering, it didn't.

There were no doves, no music, no little men lining the sidewalk and waving goodbye.

But it was nice to say good bye to Whitney and her mom before I leave. The Senters family are really great people.

Accepting Adulthood,
Jenna

Updates in Bullet Form

2009-05-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged at all in May. I apologize my life has been supremely busy.

On Tuesday, I took my last final ever, and with the exception of the licensing exam, my last test ever. My mind still hasn't really grasped this reality. Done with the classroom part of school. I never thought I'd get here. How crazy!

On Friday, both of my roommates, Haley and Whitney, graduated from college. I've never felt older. My roommates are real live grown ups now. The real world is quickly approaching.

Thursday, Daniel came down and we went shopping. Then we went and floated the river with Haley, Lucia, Macy, Courtney, Emily, Chase, and Jared. Afterwards, we played some hard core games of Cranium. It was an outrageously fun day.

Thursday was the last time I'll be seeing Lucia, Courtney, Emily, Chase, and Jared before I leave for Uganda. It made me outrageously sad. It also made the trip a little more real for me.

Friday was also the First Baptist Church of Georgetown Mission Banquet. It was really awesome to have a room full of people pray for me and my trip.

I'm still not nervous about Uganda. I figured by this time I'd be a wreck, but so far, nothing. I can't figure out if its because the trip doesn't seem real yet, or if its because I know this is where God wants me to be this summer.

No matter how many times I tell myself "In 15 days I'll be on a plane for Uganda", I can't make myself believe it.

The next 15 days is full of packing and moving my stuff from San Marcos to Georgetown, weddings, packing for Uganda, and Catalyst One Day tomorrow. It's going to be a busy 15 days!

No rest for the weary,
Jenna

Babies

2009-04-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Confession: I love babies. And children.

I like everything about them. The way they look, the way they act, the way they are hilarious and cute without even trying.

I picked my career field because I couldn't imagine going to work everyday at a job that didn't involve kids.

I don't know if children's ministry can be considered a spiritual gift, but in my world, it can be, and it is mine. I love kids and kids love me, even the shy kids that don't like anyone but their mom. Children's ministry is definitely my calling. Its what I want to do when I grow up.

(On a side note, I wonder when I will stop staying "when I grow up". At 22 maybe? I'm not sure)

Another confession: if you have kids, I will probably like you, or at least pretend too. This is for two reasons:

1. You won't think I'm a weirdo for trying to play with your kids
2. You might ask me to be your babysitter, at which point, I'll make money doing something I would have done for free anyways.

The good news for my friends Nic and Jo? I already considered them to be great friends of mine before they had a kid, so they know I'm not pretending to like them to get to their new son Hayden:

Hayden was born Tuesday very very early in the morning and I'm already in love with him.

I've been named Hayden's godmother. I think this is mostly a title given to me so others won't think Nic and Jo are weird for letting me be around their son so often.

Out of curiosity, I look up godmother on the internet today. The first definition I found was a cocktail made with Italian Amaretto liqueur and vodka. However, I think this one is a bit more what I was looking for:

"Traditionally, godparents were counted informally responsible for ensuring that the child's religious education was carried out and for caring for the child should he/she be orphaned. Today the word "godparent" may not have explicitly religious overtones. The modern view of a godparent tends to be an individual chosen by the parents to take an interest in the child's upbringing and personal development."

I like the part about religious education being carried out. If children's ministry is my calling, and Hayden is a child that I care about, then it only makes sense for this to be a priority of mine.

I want Hayden to grow up to be a Godly man, husband, and father. I want Hayden to grow up knowing the Jesus that I know and love. I want Hayden to grow up and follow the God that has blessed me with the friendship I have with his parents.

You know when your in youth group and you have to name someone besides your parents who had a significant influence on you and your walk with God?

I would like to be on Hayden's list, because Nic and Jo are on mine.

Trying to set a Godly example,
Jenna

Creator

2009-04-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately? God as Creator. Not as the Creator of the universe, but as the Creator of me.

Not that creating the universe isn't incredible, but right now, we are focusing on me.

I love the idea of God knitting me together in my mother's womb and knowing the hairs on my head and knowing the life path He has planned for me.

I love that God laughs at me when I freak out about said life plan not going how I intended because His plan is much better.

I also love that He already knows when I am going to screw up said life plan and loves me in spite of my stupidity.

The thing I have been thinking about the most lately? Finding my identity in my Creator.

One thing no one knows about me? I used to paint. I'm terrible at painting. Really awfully bad. My sister got all the artistic genes in my family. Her art is incredible. She's extremely talented. You should ask her to show it to you sometime. I'm really extremely proud of her in case you can't tell.

Anyways, I would never show anyone my art, because I'm embarrassed of it, but I did really used to enjoy creating it.

I painted for the first time since before I had my first serious boyfriend over Easter break. It was so much fun!

In case you're wondering, my talents have not improved in my time off.

Regardless, I think that God has a reason behind reminding me about Him as Creator so much lately and its this:

When we start putting our main focus on things besides our Creator, we start to lose the identity He created for us in the first place.

When I date boys, I tend to focus on them for my identity instead of God. I'm so concerned with making sure their happy with me that I lose who I am trying to be that picture of perfection for them.

I can't tell you how many things I've pretended to like or enjoy to make my past boyfriends happy! How pathetic.

It's been nice getting to know me again.

And I've learned my lesson. Lucky for the next boy, he'll get to know the real me instead of the me I'm trying to be to make him happy.

Now than I'm writing it down, the idea of changing myself in that way doesn't even seem logical.

I'm so silly sometimes.

Enjoying the Road of Self Discovery,
Jenna

Something I Found

2009-04-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

I found this today online and I wanted to share it with you:

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there...to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be but then you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.
And, sometimes things happen to you at times that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would never realize your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck.
Illnesses, injury, love; lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of the soul. Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere-sage and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.
The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart to. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and to open your heart and eyes to little things.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and live it.
After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul and you learn that love doesn't mean possession and company doesn't mean security. You begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
You learn to build your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have ways of falling down in mid flight.
You learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong, and you really do have worth.

For those of you looking for something a little less serious, I discovered today that for the entire 21 years of my life I have been spelling the word "trys" instead of "tries" and no one ever corrected me. I wonder how many people have looked at my writings when spell check didn't correct me and laughed at the girl who sometimes takes herself and her intelligence a little too seriously. Its funny how God teaches us humility in the smallest circumstances.

21 years of "trys". How embarrassing.

Thoughts from a girl who trys/tries to keep you entertained,
Jenna

Random

2009-04-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm on a Mark Driscoll kick lately. I listen to podcasts everyday on the way to school and sometimes on the way back. Even though its old and I'm way behind on the times, I've been listening to his Peasant Princess series from November. I really really like it. Sometimes Driscoll can be a little extreme, but for the most part, I like what he has to say, and he makes me laugh, which is important to me.
I hope one day my husband writes stuff like this (click the this Foster, I know you had trouble with that in my last post) about my children.
The fact that I cried so easily about a post like this helps to affirm my suspicions that God is going to call me to adopt at least one of my children.
I still really want one of these. Feel free to get me one if it so moves you.
Some big changes are coming in my life. Another post about that is coming soon.
I'm super excited David is home for the week and that I got to spend time with him this weekend.
I forgot how much I miss a lot of the people that I love who live in Georgetown. If I'm allowed at the Levy's and Ward's at least once or twice a week, perhaps I can survive a year with my parents at the age of 22.
In exactly 29 days, I will turn in my last final and I will never step foot inside another classroom. Crazy
In exactly 48 days, I'll be on my way to Kampala, Uganda. Even crazier.
In approximately 7 days, give or take a few days based on when he decides to come, my friend's Nic and Jo will welcome their son Hayden into the world. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I can't wait to hold that little guy!

Giving you a little look into my world at the moment,
Jenna

Published Works

2009-04-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

One thing you probably didn't know about me?

I'm a published writer.

For humility reasons, its not something I like to bring up often, but now that we are talking about it, I've actually been published twice.

The first time, I was in the 2nd grade I think. Everyone in my class had to write and illustrate their own story, then you mailed in your creation along with $20 and they sent back your very own published book.

At the time, I apparently lacked the creativity I now have, because my book was strangely similar to my favorite book at the time, The Rainbow Fish.

So similar, in fact, that I could have been sued for copyright infringement had I not been 7.

The second time came in the 5th grade. We were doing a poetry unit and everyone had to write a bunch of different types of poems. Then, we picked our favorite and our teacher sent them into a company. After that, the company picked the 5 best poems from our class, combined them with poems from other classes across the country and published them in a book of poetry. Then, the company conned everyone's parents and grandparents into buying the book of poems for $20.

I still remember the poem I wrote, it went like this:

Long, rectangular, sort of square
Their nasty smell fills the air
I don't like Fritos but maybe you do
I think I'll try one..Ewww

Poetic genius, I know.

Surprisingly enough, some of the kids wrote really good poems about their grandparents dying, God's love, stuff like that. A decade later, I'm still trying to figure out how my 4 line poem on Fritos made the cut.

Anyways, I write all this to say that the publishers have been knocking. They're ready for more. And after a 10 year hiatus, I'm ready to break out my pen and paper.

I really want to write a book. Whether or not anyone ever reads it is not important, but I want to put my thoughts to paper, separate them by chapter and call it a book.

Not that my thoughts are all that important or profound, but as demonstrated by my attempt to be creative in writing my own version of The Rainbow Fish, I don't think I'd be creative enough to pen a fiction novel.

I'd like to think my style would be similar to Donald Miller. Simply talking through writing with a little wit mixed in.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what to write about.

Good news or bad news depending on how you've treated me in the past? I write everything in a journal. Perhaps I will look there for inspiration. I also bought my own version of the Moleskine today to start keeping my thoughts. I think Uganda will present a good writing stage.

Perhaps by December my unnamed creation will be ready for your reading pleasure.

Working on something else my grandma can be the only person to buy,
Jenna

P.S. Does anyone want to buy me one of these for my trip? This way, I can have tons of books with me in Uganda without having to carry around a ton of books in my backpack. If you do, I'll give you a big thank you, a blog dedication, an awesome souvenir from Uganda, and I'll even mention you in my book.

I really really really want one. I'm just throwing that out there. Do with it what you wish.

Apologies

2009-04-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today we had a guest lecturer, and being the type of student that I am, I checked out the Google analytics for my blog instead of listening.

A few discoveries:

1. I have had a few visitors from other countries including France, India, and our neighbors to the north.

2. I have had visitors from about 25 of the states. My new goal is to get a visitor from each state.

3. I have a lot more readers than I realized.

The major reason for this post though? I discovered that most of my visits come from referring sites (mostly Jonathon and Nic) but the ones that don't come from search engines.

What are most people searching for when they stumble upon my blog?

How to save their dog when they eat chocolate.

This is because of this post from November here.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize if you were looking for a way to help your dog after they ate chocolate. I would hate to think that I wasted your time on my blog while looking for a solution.

What I can tell you is that the vet I called recommended a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide for large dogs and 1/2 a teaspoon for smaller dogs. If they don't throw up within 5 minutes or so, you can give them a little more.

I just needed to do that to clear my conscience.

Saving chocolate loving dogs everywhere,
Jenna

Giggling

2009-03-24T21:54:00.001-07:00

One thing I should do is get better at naming these things. Maybe I'll start numbering them like Stuff Christians Like, or using song titles like Kelsey. I don't really know, but they need some work.

The point of today's post:

Do you think its possible that God giggles?

I know its a very feminine thing to do, but do you think its possible?

Or maybe, even though its a little cruel, do you think sometimes He laughs at us?

Today, I was driving home feeling sorry for myself. I was in a bummy mood, had had a bad day, and was basically going through a list of things in my life that aren't going so great right now. I was being the ultra in over dramatic, but you know how sometimes you just get in one of those moods?

Anyways, here's what I think God was doing at that time:

Laughing, in a very deep manly way, or perhaps giggling

(I can't exactly picture which one fits best.)

Oh Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. Why are you so ridiculously overdramatic? Why don't you just start wearing skinny jeans and black eye liner and listening to screamo music? Don't you know that I have blessed you in ways you don't realize? Don't you know that I am always looking out for you? Sometimes you act like such a child. I'll show you. Wait until you see what I have waiting at home for you. Then, we can both laugh at how ridiculous you are being.

I don't know why God talks in italics. It just fits.

I also think God would have much better vocabulary, but you get the idea.

When I came home, I found a $1300 donation for my trip to Uganda. My trip is virtually paid for.

I bet God got a great laugh (or giggle) out of my reaction.

I don't know if the people who donated are comfortable with me saying their names online, but I will say this:

If you ever have a need for propane, contact Webberville Propane.

They have some great people over there.

Truly Blessed,
Jenna

Fear

2009-03-23T20:50:00.001-07:00

Fear is really an usual emotion. It can make you do a lot of odd things.

For example, my fear of needles has me crying, hyperventilating, and shaking like a child in the doctor's office over a shot at the age of 21. Its really rather embarrassing.

My fear of giving birth causes me to get goosebumps and feel sick to my stomach anytime the topic of a child going through the birthing canal comes up.

Oddly enough, I am more nervous about all the new people that are going to be in Uganda than I am about the remaining shots I have or even traveling to Uganda in general because of my fear of talking to people I don't know for the first time.

Seeing the movie Taken has given me a new fear about traveling alone in London.

But, I don't want to be the type of person who lets their fear get in the way.

In the past, I have let my fear of loneliness keep me in relationships much longer than I should have been.

I have let my fear of disappointing people cause me to say yes in situations where I wanted to say no.

I have friends who are finishing school soon and are going to graduate school. This is not because they have always had a dream about getting their Master's or because their field requires it, but because they fear entering the real world of responsibilities and leaving the comforts of their college lifestyle.

I also have friends who have thrown away great relationships because they let their fear of commitment convince them that something great wasn't right. They were so afraid of committing to a great person that they created problems and wrong feelings that didn't really exist to keep the thing they feared away.

I once had a friend who passed up on the opportunity to travel to another country because of their fear of trying new foods.

Like I said, fear can make people do odd things. I'd love to hear about the odd things that fear makes you or someone you know do, but that's not the point of this post.

The point is to say that I think we can do two things with fear:

we can run away from it, or
we can face it and over come it.

Francis Chan says the following things about fear in his book Crazy Love:

"But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through."

"Much of our talk doesn't match our lives. We says thing like, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' and 'Trust in the Lord with all of your heart.' Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exist. We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises."

Me?

I don't want to let the fear of what might happen if I really live my life the way God wants me to to get in the way of really living my life the way God wants me to.

I don't want to wake up one morning and say:

What if?

Excited about what really living really brings,
Jenna

Randomness

2009-03-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

A few random things to share with you:

1. I thought I was going to be a little bummed about everyone having Spring Break the week after me, but in actuality, it ended up making my Spring Break seem like it was two weeks long, which was wonderful. I spent some time at the beach, hung out with my family, and spent a lot of time with friends. It was absolutely fabulous.

2. I have been driving my sister's car the last couple of days while mine has been in the shop. I hope that every car I drive in the future has a sun roof, there is something incredible about opening a sun roof on a warm night and playing the music a little too loud.

3. I have received a bunch of checks this week for Uganda. I have now successfully paid for my plane ticket and my room and board in full. I'm about 2,000 short of my goal.

4. Very soon, I would like to have a day where all I do is sleep. I am oh so very busy trying to make my last 2 months at school memorable. It is exhausting.

5. Lastly, I feel like I may be having a mid-life crisis. Well, not really a mid-life crisis. If we assume that the average person lives to 80ish, then I would be at a quarter life crisis. That's besides the point. The point is, I realized my time left in the college lifestyle is down to about 2 months. My time before the real world is down to 1 year, 2 months and 3 days, but, who's counting? I want to accomplish a lot before this moment arrives, so in my usual list fashion, here is a list of things I would like to complete before graduation:

Take an oil painting class
Learn how to use a sewing machine and make some of my own clothes
Visit the Grand Canyon
Go on a roadtrip with the sunroof open
Wait tables
Take a photograph that is pretty enough to be framed and called art
Go to Vegas
Apply to be on a reality TV show.

I tried to round it out with an even 10, but that's all I have for now. Let me know if you want to help me overcome my quarter life crisis.

Living life,
Jenna

Update

2009-03-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

My soccer team lost bad last weekend. Really bad. But the best part is? After the game, all the girls could do was talk about how much fun they had. They loved it and they have improved a lot, even during the game. That's what's important to me. I'm having a blast coaching them. In fact, practice is probably my favorite part of the week, and coaching their game was more fun than I've had in a while!

In the area of Uganda, I've bought my plane ticket, sorted out all my fiances, and applied for my visa. If you ever need to apply for a visa to Uganda, just know, they don't play around. I felt like I was applying for a new identity. There were so many different forms required I had to use one of those big Post Office envelopes to send it all. Anyways, cross your fingers that I get approved!

Speaking of fiances, I have been greatly blessed in the Africa department. For about a week after I mailed out my letters, I received a few donations a day, all totaling about 600 dollars. I was so relieved! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated!

Then, I started getting other letters back, not letters with money in them, but letters returned to me because the addresses weren't correct. In fact, for 3 days in a row, I only got these types of letters. And even though God had been blessing me a few days before, I immediately started to doubt Him again.

Why do I do this? I really need to figure that out.

Anyways, I think God constantly likes to remind me that he knows better than me, because here's what happened yesterday:

I got two envelopes in the mail from the same person, which I thought was a little weird. I opened one, and it was a 500 dollar donation from a woman my mom used to teach with. She has always had a very kind and generous heart, so expected a donation, but not one that substantial.

Then, I opened the other one. Not only did this woman write her own personal check, she told a friend down the street about me, and that woman made a 300 dollar donation. Note: I have never, ever met, spoken to, or laid eyes on this woman. I couldn't even come close to picking her out of a line up, and she still made such a substantial donation to my trip. I was floored.

Later that night, my Papa called and said that he would cover all the expenses of my trip that I don't get in donations.

I was moved to tears by the donations of family, friends, and complete strangers. My trip to Uganda is completely paid for no matter what happens. God has blessed me so much by putting people in my life that care enough about me to support what God has called me to do.

Odds are, if you're reading this, you are probably one of those people, so just know that everyday I thank God for you!

Counting my Blessings,
Jenna

Back Up Plans

2009-03-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

Can I be completely honest with you? Sometimes, I tend to have completely unrealistic expectations of life.

For example, I sent my sponsorship letters for Uganda on Thursday, and a got some calls and texts from people who had received my letters on Friday. Logically, doing the time in my head, I figured that if people got my letters on Friday, and were just as excited about Africa as I am, they would have immediately written a check and mailed it back, meaning that today, my mail box should have been flooded with letters.

I had my thank you notes ready, and I even put a letter in the mailbox and put the flag up so I would know when the mailman had come.

So today, when I got home from school, and the fateful mailman had indeed come, I raced outside, opened my mailbox waiting for so many letters that they would, indeed, spill out, only to discover.....

Some ads.

I know it was ridiculous to think that letters would actually come. But like I said, I have ridiculous expectations from life.

So then, obviously I had a little freak out session. What if no one wants to sponsor my trip? What if people don't think a trip to Africa is a good idea and therefore don't want to support it? What if no money is coming? How am I going to pay for this trip all on my own?

I then do what I always do next. I created a back up plan. I do this constantly. If I don't meet the man I'm going to marry? I'm adopting a kid at 30. If I don't think I can pass a class I'm in? I start looking at other career path options in case I really do end up failing. Everything in my life has a back up path.

It's annoying. It's one of the reason I'm going to Africa. I depend too much on my back up plans and not enough on God, and its pretty hard to set up back up plans in a place like Uganda.

Anyways, I immediately rushed inside and looked up the credit line on my credit card and discovered that if I can save up just $500 from working, then I can charge the rest to my credit card, just in case no money comes in.

What a relief!

Until I was reminded of a passage that I read in Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. The quote that's really been sticking with me says "We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn’t come through." Chan talks about how truth faith is putting ourselves in situations that can only be successful with God.

Why do I always think that God is going to fail me? Why do I always believe that God, who loves me more than everyone else in the world combined, would not have my best interest at heart? Would not be looking out for me and His plan for me?

No more stressing out for me. It's all yours now God.

Giving Up Back Up Plans,
Jenna

An Update

2009-02-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Nothing much has been going on in my life lately. Its really just been school and work and wasting time (in a good way) with my friends and roommates. There are a few things going on I would like to share with you:

1. My friend Maxine and I have started coaching a U12 girls soccer team. We started having practices last week. I had a few kinks with one of the parents, but so far, other than that, its been a great experience. Most of the girls have never played, so its going to be quite a challenge, but the girls are really sweet and they try very hard, so I think this season is going to be blast!

2. I finally got all of my finance stuff ironed out for my trip to Uganda. I set up an account with First Baptist Church of Georgetown. I mailed out my sponsor letters today, and I am praying that I actually get some response back. I need to raise about $5000, so be praying that the people who receive letters will have open hearts to support me with money and prayer.

Excited my letters are on their way,
Jenna

Things to Do Before I Die-Feb.

2009-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Good news. I was able to complete several things for my list in January:

1. I got my yellow fever and hep A shots for Uganda. The lady that gave them to me was terrible. She gave me huge bruises on both arms. She was in training, so I don't hold it against her. The lady that was training her talked to me the whole time, and even massaged my shoulders. My breathing increased a little, but there were absolutely no tears. Yes, "Get A Shot Without Crying" was actually on my list of things to do before I die. I am a huge baby. I know.

2. I finally got a web cam thing with a gift card I had from Best Buy. This covered "Video Chat with Someone".

3. I also had auburn hair this month, which covered, "Dye My Hair a Color Other Than Brown". I know it wasn't that far away from brown, I'm not as adventurous as Kelsey.

I have also already crossed two things off my list for February.

1. This past weekend one of the girls in my group accepted Christ during our one on one time. It was awesome, to say the least, but it also covered "Pray with Someone As They Accept Christ."

2. Also, I am going to start coaching an U12 girls soccer team next week which covers "Coach a Soccer Team."

But even though I have already crossed some things off the list, here are a few more things I'm looking to cross off this month:

1. Ride in a hot air balloon
2. Play a round of golf
3. Sword fight someone
4. Ride a horse
5. Go skinny dipping
6. Ride on a train
7. Go to a rap concert and be the only white people there
8. Eat caviar
9. Sing karaoke by myself

Let me know if your interested!

Experiencing Life,
Jenna

I'm Already Crying

2009-02-04T13:20:00.001-08:00

I don't know if this counts toward the pretend pool that never really started or not, but I already cried my first tears over Uganda. I got to talk to the volunteer coordinator on Monday and afterward, we became Facebook friends, mostly so I could look at her pictures from Africa. I got so stinking excited looking at the pictures of the children I could possibly minister too and the people I could possibly be serving with. Then, I found these two videos on her site. It talks about sponsoring a child in Uganda. One video is really just a longer version of the other.

I watched these videos like four times and I cried tears of happiness about how cool this summer is going to be and how much I am going to love love love loving on these children. Then, I watched this video on Zak White's (pastor of The Connection Church in Kyle, Texas) blog:

Obviously, I sobbed like a baby. Then, I noticed at the end of the video that Sam and Esther live in Uganda.

Even cooler? The hospital they end up at at the end of the video for physical therapy is one of the best children's hospitals in Africa. I'm going to be doing some volunteering and maybe even some occupational therapy at that very hospital this summer.

Just wanted to share that with you. I promise note every blog between now and June 1st will be about Uganda.

Such a crybaby,
Jenna

Uganda

2009-02-03T21:13:00.001-08:00

So its officially official, I'm going to be spending June 1st-July 31st in Uganda this summer! I am beyond excited about going. I am also beyond nervous. I did, however, read a Twitter from Perry Noble that said if you aren't nervous about what you're about do to then it probably isn't from God, so I suppose my nervousness is a good sign. Obviously, I would really appreciate it if you would start praying for me and my trip now.

I figured a good way to start out talking about Uganda is explaining why I want to go. There are multiple reasons.

1. I spent a lot of time praying about this with God and I really feel like it is something He wants me to do.

2. I have always wanted to do a longer term mission at some point in my life.

3. I think something like this is the perfect close of the college chapter of my life and the beginning of the adult world portion of my life.

4. I feel like I need to get away from everyone and every thing in my life so that I can learn to fully rely on God and only God. Not God and my friends, God and my family, God and my comfort zone, etc.

5. I want a new perspective on life. I want to learn to really appreciate all the things that I have that I take for granted. I want to wake up in the morning and know first hand that the things I have in my life are not things granted to everyone. I want to know what its like to really live uncomfortably. I want to wake up and praise God for sheets, and cereal, and iPods, and AC and couches and really mean it.

I've already heard from many people, and I'm sure I will hear from many more that this trip is going to be hard. That its going to dangerous. That its going to be uncomfortable. Some people have even told me I won't be able to handle it.

Secretly, I like it. I hope its all those things and more. I hope its so hard that I cry and I get on my knees and I tell God I can't get through it without Him.

And then I hope He gets me through it.

So before you feel like telling me, just know:

I know this trip will be one of the most difficult things I ever do. I know its dangerous. I know its going to be hard. I know I'll be uncomfortable. I am even considering starting a pool for how many hours into the trip I cry. Let me know if you want in.

I also know this trip is going to change my life in a way that only God can. And that's why I'm going to Uganda.

Looking for Life Change,
Jenna

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me

2009-01-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

One of my guilty pleasures is eating icing straight out of the can. Disgusting, I know.
Ironically enough, I also have a fear of being overweight.
I have an embarrassingly huge phobia of needles and shots.
I have a hard time telling people no.
I have been blogging since July and I just figured out that pressing the compose button allows me to do bullets and numbers and change the size of the font. I am computer illiterate.
I am beginning to develop an odd addiction to re run crime dramas. Law and Order, NCIS, Burn Notice, Psyche, Monk, CSI, Without A Trace, Cold Case. I watch them even if I've already seen the episode. Weird, I know.
I havn't skipped any classes yet.
I enjoy listening to books on tape. I am currently halfway through the first Twilight book. Thanks Ally!
My family has 100s of rabbits in the garage. My dad raises them as a hobby. That statement is neither a joke or an exaggeration.
I'm going to be spending June and July in Uganda working with the organization Empower A Child! You can check out their website here.

Obviously, I'm extremely excited about this opportunity, and I ask that you would start praying for me now. I promise to write more on this later, but I have two papers I need to get started on. I just wanted to share my exciting news and ask for your prayers for this exciting journey.

Also, just in case you keep up with my blog, this is the big news and the secret exciting opportunity I've been talking about, just in case you didn't catch that.

Spending the summer in Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!,
Jenna

Lessons Learned at a Hospital

2009-01-27T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today was my second fieldwork day at the hospital. I love going to the hospital. I love the patients, I love the treatments, I love the activity, but most of all, I love seeing the patients get better.

After these observations, I know I am going to love what I am going to do when I grow up.

Anyways, God taught me a cool lesson today.

Most of the patients at the hospital are really nice old people, like grandmas and grandpas, but there is this younger individual who has Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a really rare disease effecting only 1 in 100,000 people. You can read more about it here.

Anyways, to summarize Guillain-Barré Syndrome it is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. Patients begin to lose feeling in their limbs and trunk. Eventually, the patient is completely paralyzed. This loss of function can occur over hours, days, or weeks.

Our particular patient went from a fully functional adult to completely paralyzed in 4 hours. My therapist said a lot of patients as bad as him die from their symptoms. This happened to him over 5 months ago and he has been in the hospital doing rehab ever since he reached a stable condition.

Today, when we went to therapy with this patient, he had something he was really excited about showing us. He gathered us over, had us lift up his hands and showed us how he is now able to move his two pinkies and right thumb literally a centimeter, if that.

This guy lost his total independence in a matter of four hours. He had a life and a job and a family and everything changed in a matter of 4 hours. He has been working so hard for the last 5 months, all for some centimeter movements in 3 fingers. 5 months.

If you could have seen the look on this guy's face, you would have thought it had just won the lottery. Over a centimeter. Incredible.

I sit here and whine about how my life is hard and school is boring and God takes to long to answer my prayer requests, and then when He does answer them, I don't do enough to appreciate them.

This patient sits in the hospital and works is but off for 5 months for a centimeter. And then he is overjoyed at his progress, instead of getting frustrated that things aren't moving faster.

I am such a brat.

Admiring the determination of the human spirit,
Jenna

Quiz Results

2009-01-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Normally, I'm not into quizzes, but I have two papers to write, and I am doing my best to put them off for as long as possible. I got this from Pam, you can check out her blog here. You can also take the quiz for yourself here.

I'm posting my results because this quiz is the most interesting thing that has happened in my life over the last couple of days. Also, its depressing how accurate the results are.

Here it goes:

You are a Doris -- "I must help others."

Dorises are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

* Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.
* Share fun times with me.
* Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.
* Let me know that I am important and special to you.
* Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

* Reassure me that I am interesting to you.
* Reassure me often that you love me.
* Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a Doris

* being able to relate easily to people and to make friends
* knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better
* being generous, caring, and warm
* being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings
* being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a Doris

* not being able to say no
* having low self-esteem
* feeling drained from overdoing for others
* not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish
* criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should
* being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tune in to them
* working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

Dorises as Children Often

* are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism
* try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding
* are outwardly compliant
* are popular or try to be popular with other children
* act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention
* are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted Dorises), or quiet and shy (the more introverted Dorises)

Dorises as Parents

* are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)
* are often playful with their children
* wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"
* can become fiercely protective

That's all

Wishing my life was more interesting at the moment,
Jenna

Music Selections

2009-01-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

A few updates before we get down to business:

1. I've gone through two weeks of school without skipping a class. I'm seeing how long I can go. I'm pretty proud of myself.

2. I'm also keeping up with my Bible readings on You Version. Hopefully, this year I will actually finish the Bible.

3. Maybe you remember me asking you to pray for something cool that I am trying to do over the summer. I got word today that my application for said cool thing has made it through almost the entire process. It is simply awaiting final approval from the head person in charge of said cool thing. So again, pray for the application process, and that everything would work out the way God wants it to. Also, pray for my patience, because I have none, and waiting for that e-mail is going to drive me crazy!

If I get accepted, I'll let you in on what "cool thing" is. Although most of you already know because I'm terrible at keeping secrets.

Finally, the reason for today's post. Over the summer, I bought an older version of the iPod on eBay. I also thankfully bought a warranty from squaretrade.com, which I highly recommend if your electronics don't come with warranties. They should pay me for that advertisement.

Anyways, older iPod broke, and Square Trade said it wouldn't be cost efficient to repair my iPod. Additionally, they didn't have any more iPods in my version, so Tuesday I got a refurbished 5th generation 80 GB iPod for only the cost of shipping. I transfered the collection from the old iPod to the new one, and I have right at 4,000 songs, which leaves me with plenty of room for more.

So today, I am allowing you to recommend songs to add to my collection. You can recommend one song or many. I promise to download and listen to all of them at least once. Most unique song, overall best song, and best collection of songs will be awarded.

Expanding my Musical Pallet,
Jenna

Weekend in Review

2009-01-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

The highlight of this weekend was hanging out with Shelby and Kelsey on Saturday. We redecorated Shelby's guest bedroom so that she can turn it into a mini salon. Shelby is extremely good at what she does, so if you ever need something done to your hair, you should give her a call. Seriously. Shelby can make anyone look good, so if you're interested, let me know.

I realized this weekend how much I love decorating/painting. I also reorganized my bathroom, and as nerdy as it sounds, I had a blast. If you ever need something reorganized, let me know. I think in my next life, I'll be a decorator or a home organizer or something.

I also realized this weekend how much I love Shelby and Kelsey. They are simply fabulous girls and I can't wait until we get old and our kids can have play dates together.

Saturday night we went to The Tap Room in San Marcos. Good food. Good drinks. And cheap. It's my new favorite hang out place in San Marcos. Ask me about it and I'll take you sometime.

Tomorrow I have my first fieldwork of the semester. I'm a wee bit nervous.

Hoping everyone enjoyed MLK day, sorry this was so boring,
Jenna

Last First Week of School

2009-01-16T19:28:00.001-08:00

This week, I started back to school, for the very last time. I survived, but barely. Here are some random thoughts and reflections from the week:

• First of all, I honestly don’t know how I am going to survive the real world. The past couple of semesters, I've only had to go to school 3 days a week. This week, I had to go all 5 days, and it was exhausting! Plus, I didn't even go all day on Monday, Tuesday, or Friday. If I had my way, I would have the college life, without the classes, forever.

• While we are talking about this semester, we can talk about how difficult it is going to be for me to keep my resolutions. I thought the break would give me a better attitude about school, but no such luck. I hate school just as much as I did at the end of last semester. Doing well is going to be difficult, not because of lack of intelligence, but because of lack of motivation.

• Another thing making my resolutions difficult is the amount of boredom that some of the classes produces. And by some, I mean most. In one class, we watch a video tape of a woman reading notes about ethics, and then we have class discussions about it. You'd think that would be the worst, but it isn't. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, we go over how to do documentation. We have gone over abbreviations, if right/left should go before or after the body part, when to use the word "of", and how to use hyphens. We go over the rules of proper documentation, which is a complete waste because every job site has their own rules for how documentation should be done, which you can learn when you get said job. It is the most ridiculous waste of time class I've ever taken, which is saying something because I've taken scuba diving, water aerobics, and a class in the 9th grade called "Teen Leadership" which consisted of watching inspirational movies and writing colorful notes for my friends.

• I did a terrible job of spending responsibly on my credit card this past month. I swear I'll do better in January.

• It's been brought to my attention that some clarifications need to be made from my last blog. I won't be skinny dipping with anyone of the male persona. Additionally, it is much to cold for skinny dipping, so it will be moved to May/June/July's list.

• Today I bought a bunch of fruits and vegetables at the store. I'm going to try to start eating healthier. It will probably last until the next trip to the store, but I'll try for now.

• In other news, I can no longer go to San Diego with FBCgt because of some incorrect information on spring break dates I received from my mom. I am REALLY disappointed about not being able to go. The good news is that instead I'll be able to go visit David on his "Go and See" weekend for Mission Year. I'm looking to go from Thursday, March 5thish to Tuesday, March 10thish. I did a little research and the cost for one person to fly and stay in a hotel by themselves is about $350. So, who wants to go with me? Obviously, the price goes down if we drive or split a hotel, which I'm all for. Let me know if you want to go. Seriously.

• I'm starting to get sick. I'm also going out every night this weekend. I know this is a bad combination. I'm crossing my fingers I'll make it.

• Today, when I went to the store, a woman was eating grapes out the bag. Not just one bag, but multiple bags. Like she was testing the bags or something. In case you're wondering, this is not socially acceptable. I had to get green grapes instead of purple. I'm still a little bitter about this.

• Haley took Bella to the dog park this week and she humped a girl dog. She has never humped anything before, ever, but for some reason, she found it appropriate to hump a girl dog. This means our dog is at the very least bisexual. I don't know how I feel about this.

Wishing Bella liked boys,
Jenna

Things to Do Before I Die-January Edition

2009-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

As promised, today is the day we pick out what thing I am going to complete for January. The bad news is, my list has over 150 things on it. I realized today that it is simply too long to type up, so here is the game plan:

Every month, I am going to list things that I think could be completed in the month. Then, you read them, and if you want to do something on the list with me, you let me know, and we will work something out.

Obviously, this plan depends on you a lot, so I really hope you won't let me down. I don't care who you are, how well I know you, or how long its been since we have talked, if you're willing to complete something with me, I'll entertain the idea.

With that being said, here's the stuff I think I could complete in January:

1. Ride in a hot air balloon
2. Play a round of golf
3. Sword fight someone
4. Ride a horse
5. Go skinny dipping
6. Ride on a train
7. Go to a rap concert and be the only white people there
8. Eat caviar
9. Sing karaoke by myself
10. Hit on a boy with a cheesy pick up line
11. Learn to tap dance
12. Go to a horse race
13. Play tackle football
14. Tour Texas stadium
15. Shoot a gun

And there you go. Let me know if you want to do one with me.

Completing Life's Goals,
Jenna

A Night Out With the Girls

2009-01-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

Last night, I missed my first night of blogging for the new year. I'm ok with it. Blogging every day gets really old.

Anyways, I missed blogging yesterday for good reason, because yesterday was a super busy day.

First, I came home. It feels grown up to call San Marcos home, but I really do consider it home now. I do miss a lot of the people and places and conversations in Georgetown though.

Then, I went and worked with Merced. I took the whole break off from work, which was nice, and it was good to see Merced again. Yesterday was his birthday, so I refused to make him do his usual worksheets and stuff. Instead, we went to Wal-Mart and picked out toys.

Finally, after work, we went to downtown for Macy's 21st birthday. I had sushi for the first time, which was an interesting experience, but I really enjoyed some of it.

Afterwords, we headed to 6th street, met up with a bunch of fun people, and even spent part of the night with Todd Reesing:

It was an outrageously fun night!

It was so fun that we skipped going out tonight because we were all too tired. It does feel so good to be back home with my favorite people!

Now that I'm back home, I can start working on completing my "List of Things To Do Before I Die". Look for that post tomorrow.

P.S. Since its going to be coming into conversation a lot, can someone come up with a shorter name?

Enjoying the Comforts of Home,
Jenna

My Biggest Fear

2009-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd continue on with my theme of confessions and tell you my current biggest fear.

There is a lady that lives next door to me and my roommates. We call her Paula, but her name is not actually Paula. We named her that because we didn't know her real name, and we got tired of calling her "Crazy Raccoon Lady". Which is a completely different story for another time.

Anyways, Paula is your typical neighborhood crazy cat lady. She has at least 4 different cats that I've seen. She lives by herself. She has few visitors. When I try to smile or say hello or start a conversation, she blows me off.

I imagine that when Paula gets older she will live in a nursing home all my herself with no visitors, lonely and waiting to die, like my granny's roommate was when my granny used to live there.

My biggest fear is growing up to be Paula.

I'm so relational that I get lonely when there aren't people around me for more than a couple of hours. I'll never be able to live by myself. I spend the night at Nic and Jo's every time both of my roommates are gone. I hate being by myself.

I can't imagine waking up every day with no one around and no one to look forward to seeing.

My biggest fear? Loneliness.

And now you know.

Hoping I'll Never Be Your Neighborhood Crazy Cat Lady,
Jenna

Confession

2009-01-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Today, I have a confession to make. My sister is spoiled.

That's not the confession. And I know some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking to yourselves about how spoiled I am. Admittedly, I am spoiled, and I have no problem telling you this, but my sister is even more spoiled than I.

How could I make a statement like this? Well, blog readers this Christmas break I came home to discover that my sister has so many clothes, shoes, purses, and just all around stuff that she has taken over a second closet in our home. Both her bedroom and the guest bedroom closets are literally jammed packed full of things.

My sister has so much stuff that she doesn't even know half of what she owns. I have been wearing her things all Christmas break. Sometimes, she notices. Other times, she tells me its cute, not realizing that its hers.

I love it because its like going on a shopping spree without having to spend any money. I simply dig around in both closets to find little hidden treasures.

My confession to you is this:

I have already started picking out my favorite things so that I can take them back to school with me. I have a little pile of stuff hidden in the dresser I have been using.

Do I feel guilty? Yes. But I have told my mom my plan and she thinks its ok as long as I agree to return anything Allyson notices missing within the month. My mom says she has too much stuff.

And if she doesn't notice it missing, it can't be that important to her anyways right?

Let me know your thoughts.

Hoping you'll keep my secret,
Jenna

MLK Day

2009-01-05T17:31:00.001-08:00

On a lighter note, I would like to share a conversation that recently happened between my roommate Haley and I.

Scene: Walking together through Target upset that it is yet another store that does not have New Years decorations for our house.

Haley: This sucks. How are we supposed to decorate for New Years if all of the stores are sold out of stuff?

Jenna: Yeah I know, and its way too early to put up stuff for Valentines.

Haley: We can only get away with keeping our Christmas decorations a few more days. They have already been up since November. What other holidays are there?

Jenna: Well, I suppose we could put pictures of black people all over our house to celebrate MLK day.

The next day, I came home to the following:

In case you can't tell, that's a "Happy MLK Day" banner hanging up in our kitchen. The pictures are pictures of famous African Americans, and Micheal Jackson, who used to be African American. I think my favorite is the OJ Simpson mug shot.

I share this to tell you that stuff like this is why I never ever ever want to leave Scott Street. Seriously, Whitney's parents will probably have to drag me out kicking and screaming. It's the perfect house with the perfect people.

No one gets me quite as well as my roommates do, and I am dreading leaving in May. Therefore, I am going to do everything I can to ensure that this semester is our best yet.

Celebrating African American pride and freedom,
Jenna

Reflections

2009-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

Some reflections from today:

1. Today I went and saw Marley and Me. It is an excellent movie. I cried, which is saying something, because I am not like the girls that cry in everything. The only other movies I have ever cried in are Armageddon, Remember the Titans, and 8 seconds. I say this to say that:

1. You should go see it.
2. It made me love Bella even more.
3. The main character in the movie is a columnist. The movie made me want to marry a columnist or write a book. I havn't decided which one, but book seems more likely. Each would be a wonderful addition to my life I think.

2. I would also like to add "Be on time more often" to my list of things to change in 2009.

3. This is going to sound cheesy and corny and lame. That's fine. Make fun, but I'm going to share it anyways.

Today I had this moment when I was riding in the car with the Ward's and Kelsey on the way to the movies. We had on "Yellow" by Coldplay really loud and we were all belting it out at the top of our lungs. It was like something out of a cheesy family film.

While I was sitting there, I realized I was in one of those moments in life that you'll remember for a long time. One of those moments when someone asks you to look back on a time when you were truly happy and you pick out that particular moment.

The best part about this particular moment was that it didn't take a boyfriend.

I have this problem with finding my identity and from that, my happiness, in who I am dating at the time. But in the moment in the car where me and 10 year old Sarah sat together and belted "Yellow" off key I realized that I am completely 100% satisfied with where my life is right now and I don't even have any sort of love interest. Not even so much as a crush.

I've had a boyfriend or a boy I was dating pretty much non stop, since I was in the 9th grade. 8 years ladies and gentlemen. I realized today that I don't even know who I am by myself. I realized today that I want to find out.

I think there is something so beautiful and freeing and sexy (can I say that?) in this. Something that gives me confidence. Its like a weight has been lifted, in that I no longer have to concern myself with someone else's happiness or well being, or what someone else is thinking. It's like I have this whole new thing in my life that's been hiding that needs to be discovered. It makes me excited to wake up and see what tomorrow will bring. I LOVE it.

I'm happy. And its going to take a very special boy, and by boy I mean man, to get me to give up this feeling.

So thanks to the Wards and Kelsey and Coldplay and the song "Yellow" for giving me a little life moment that you didn't even know was happening today.

Enjoying Freedom,
Jenna

More New Things for 2009

2009-01-03T23:29:00.000-08:00

I am going to see how many days in a row I can post a blog. I know today is technically the 4th, but this one counts as the 3rd. Don't argue with me.

I thought of 3 more things I would like to change about myself in 2009:

1. I tried chicken fried deer steak tonight. It was good. Really good. Better than chicken fried steak. In 2009, I will never pass up the opportunity to try something new. You only live once.

2. I am going to stop biting my nails and cuticles. It is a disgusting habit.

3. I do this thing that really annoys me. I don't know if it annoys other people, but it annoys me. No matter what the age of the person I am talking about, I refer to them as boys and girls. I call my dad a boy, I call my grandpa a boy, I call boys my age boys, even though most of them are men. I have decided this is childish. I think making the move to refering to people over the age of 18 as men and women will take me one step closer to being a grown up.

Continuing the Theme of Change,
Jenna

New Year's Promises

2009-01-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

I meant to write this blog yesterday, but I stayed out too late, so here in my list of New Year's Promises a day late.

It should also be noted that I don't like to refer to these as resolutions. "resolutions" says to me "I think it would be a good idea to try this, whether or not I actually to do kind of depends." Kind of liking making a resolution to work out everyday, and then not actually doing it. Therefore, I refer to them as promises. I hereby promise to God, myself, and my friends that I will do the best to do everything on the list that follows. I ask that you keep me accountable, ask me how I'm doing, and maybe even publicly humiliate and shame me if I'm not keeping up (this should only be done in extreme situations for those of you who will abuse said power).

My 2009 Promises:

1. I am going to read the entire Bible this year. Every year I mean to do this, and then I get to about March 17th before I start to get behind. This year, I'm reading the whole thing. Promise.

2. I am going to complete at least one book a month. I love to read. I don't read enough. This year, I am going to do it. The end.

3. I am only skipping two classes a week this semester. It's my last semester in the classroom. I need to appreciate the gift I have been given. I need to enjoy the opportunity to learn. Why I am not making a promise to not skip any classes? I figure, why set myself up for failure? I will do my best to not skip at all though.

4. I will study at least 30 minutes for every test. No more winging it. I'm doing my best this semester.

5. I will take Bella on a walk at least twice a week. This one, is two fold. Number 1, I will take better care of my dog. Number 2: I will take better care of my body.

6. I will not say yes to things I don't want to do simply to make others happy. I am a people pleaser. Sometimes, I worry so much about pleasing others that I don't take care of myself. No more.

7. I will not tell someone I am going to pray for them unless I actually intend to do it. This one is self explanatory.

8. I am going to make an effort to not talk badly or gossip about people. I do this WAY too much. Sometimes, I reflect on the things I said during the day and I feel like an awful person. If I'm with you, and I start to talk bad about someone. Tell me to stop. Please. If I get mad, remind me of this bullet right here.

9. I am not going to pursue men, men are going to pursue me. Additionally, I promise to give every man that pursues me an equal opportunity. This is not to say that I will date every loser that comes along, but I will be less picky. I don't know how to word this better, but it makes sense in my head. Basically, if you're a pretty decent guy, and you want to pursue me, I'll give you a chance!

10. I will do my best to not worry about my future. 2009 is going to bring a bunch of changes, and worrying about said changes is just going to cause me to miss out on the day at hand. This coming semester represents my last few months in the college lifestyle, and I plan on enjoying it! Plus, what's the point in worrying if God's taking care of it all anyways?

11. I am going to cross one thing off my "List of Things to Do Before I Die" a month. As many of you know, I have a very long list of things to do before I die. I am now in my 20s, and I think I need to start working on the list. I am going to try to cross off one thing a month for the rest of my life. In the coming days, I am going to post my list online, I want to complete as many as possible with people I care about, so hopefully, you'll read it and want to do some of them with me. I want to create memories with the people I love.

Making Changes,
Jenna

Some of the Godly Men I Know

2009-01-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

I'll be writing a more meaningful blog later tonight, but I have a few minutes to spare in before my movie date, so I thought I would make a few corrections. Mainly, one correction.

Recently, I was accused of not following through on promises in my blog. This is mainly due to my promise to research political topics, and my promise to dedicate a blog to individuals who could correctly guess my favorite Taylor Swift songs.

I did not continue to research political topics because it took too much time, and frankly, I am lazy. I'm assuming everyone still voted, and I sincerely apologize if you were waiting on what I had to say in my blog to make your decision. If this is the case, for future reference, you should never listen to what I have to say when making important decisions like this.

As for the Taylor Swift contests winners, they were unhappy with only sentences about them, so the rest of the blog is dedicated to them.

Jonathon Mobley

Jonthan Mobley is the definition of modern and hip. If something is currently considered cool and awesome, Jonathon knew it was going to be cool and awesome now, almost 6 months ago. As a matter of fact, he knew it was cool and awesome so long ago that he no longer considers it cool and awesome.

Jonathan is extremely funny, smart, and an entertaining person to hang out with. He also really loves technology and such, and is very good at what he does. He is the first person I (and most people I know) go to when they have computer and other technology issues. He works for 12th Man Productions at A&M, and he also does a bunch of work for free or very cheap for churches. I don't know many college kids who would drive all over central Texas to work for next to nothing (or nothing), but Jonathon is using the gifts God gave Him to further the Kingdom of God, and thus, I consider him to be a very Godly man.

Daniel Foster

Daniel is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Daniel is the person you would call at two in the morning if you needed something, because you know no matter what the circumstances, Daniel would drop what he is doing to help you out. Daniel is also very good at giving compliments. Additionally, Daniel is really good at making people laugh. I usually end up feeling much better about myself and my out look on life after spending an afternoon with him.

Daniel is also really good and what he does. Daniel has a life goal of being the athletic director for the University of Texas. This semester, Daniel has an internship at UT that was created specifically for him. I think that is a testament to what a hard worker and wonderful person he is. I think it also proves that it won't be long before AD Foster is hooking us up with box seats at the UT games.

Daniel has his head on his shoulders, knows what God's purpose for his life is, and is working hard to achieve that purpose, and thus, I would consider him to be a Godly man.

Both of these guys are great people, and any girl would be lucky to date them, so let me know if you're interested.

Keeping my Promises,
Jenna

Some Food for Thought

2008-12-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

I'm tired, and not in much a mood for blogging tonight. Plus, I need to get some sleep because it snowed all day today and tomorrow the skiing is going to be great. So, to make up for my lack of blogging, here are two things you should check out:

1. Brett's blog, which contains a story from ESPN that Nic has also Twittered about. It's a pretty cool and inspiring story. You can read it here.

2. A video posted on Stuff Christian's Like. About 2 minutes in Pen from Pen & Teller has some pretty cool things to say about why Christians should share their faith. Its only about a 5 minute video, so you should watch it. Check it out here.

Hope Everyone Has a Good Christmas!
Jenna

My Experience As a Snowboarder

2008-12-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

In case you just started reading today, or missed the blog I wrote yesterday, I tried snowboarding for the first time today. It was a very interesting experience.

Martina and I had lessons this morning with a very nice snowboarding instructor named Trevor. On a completely unrelated side note, he is a kite boarding instructor in North Carolina for most of the year and then comes to Colorado to teach snowboarding in the winter months. Extremely cool life right?

Anyways, the lessons went decently well. I had fun and I learned a lot, but in the beginning I needed a lot of help. Snowboarding is really hard to pick up! I did, however, finally get the hang of it towards the end.

Unfortunately, all I really have to show for it is two huge bruises on my knees from stopping and falling toe side so much. That's right, I said toe side, like a real snowboarder. Pretty soon, I'll be saying things like ride, and grind, and half pipe.

Regardless, I have decided that I enjoy skiing much more, so I traded my board in for skis. I really want to get some ski time in with Ally and enjoy my trip to the fullest. Maybe one day I'll try snowboarding again, but for now, at least I can cross it off my list of things to do before I die.

In other news, I read the first five chapters of Crazy Love today. It is so good! Good in a way that it isn't full of deep, never thought of before things, but rather good in a way that Frances Chan writes things that you knew all along in the back of your head, but never really thought about in the forefront of your mind, or in the way he puts them for that matter. Does that make sense? I don't know, but its good.

I read it in the bathtub today, making note taking difficult. But I promise, notes are coming soon.

Had a Rad Day Shredding It on the Slopes (more snowboarding talk I picked up),
Jenna

Things You Learn On a Long Car Trip

2008-12-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning at 8 o'clock in the morning, my family and I left to go to Colorado. We spent the night yesterday in Salina, Kansas got up at 7 and drove today until we finally arrived in Winter Park, Colorado at 4. In case you're counting, that's 21 hours on the road, that's with stops though. Its actually only a 16 hour drive. Here are some updates from the car trip.

1. Apparently, I dominate at the Peg Board game.

The whole point of the game is to jump over pegs, removing them from the board, until there is only one left. I was the only one able to complete it. My dad tells me my great grandpa could pick out which peg he was going to leave on the board and still finish the puzzle. I am going to practice until I can do that too. Then, we can add it to the list of "Things I'm Good at That in No Way to Contribute to Society or My Life in Any Way."

In case you're wondering, that list doesn't really exist. But it could if I sat down and took the time to make one. List making could also be on that list now that I think about it.

2. I am extremely good at fitting into tiny spaces. I volunteered to take the back seat so I could sleep, not knowing that the back seat would be half full with luggage. If I was literally an inch wider, taller, or longer, I would not have been able to fit in this space. But I did it, for 16 hours. All I really have to show for this talent is some cramped muscles and a bruise on my butt for sitting in one position for so long, but at least I survived.

3. I am able to sleep in any circumstance.

I was already acutely aware of this talent given that I have slept on a tile floor, in desks, sitting straight up, small couches in the library, etc. But, I was able to sleep in such a tiny space for almost the entire trip, so I think its safe to say that this talent in confirmed.

4. My sister is an amazing source of useless facts. Today she new all the tallest mountains in the world and the US and their locations. In addition, she shared with us that 70% of the people in Japan live on 10% of the land or something like that. Please don't quote that fact, as I probably got it completely wrong. The point is, if I'm ever on Who Want to Be a Millionaire, she'll be my phone a friend, and she should be yours too.

5. I add Crazy Love my Frances Chan to my book rotation. I'm only through the intro and I already really like it. Be looking forward to some quotes and thoughts.

6. I found out today that I got a 4.0 this semester. I'm not really that excited about it, because I don't feel like I did anything to deserve it. Praise God that He helped me get through it successfully. Next semester is my final semester in the classroom, and I solemnly swear that I will put in more effort and try harder.

7. Tomorrow I am trying snowboarding for the first time. I have gone skiing probably 8 or 9 times over the last 10 years, and every year, I say I'm going to try it and I never do. This year, Martina wants to try snowboarding too, so I told her I would go to lessons with her tomorrow morning. I'm pretty nervous about it, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I don't break anything. Keep your fingers crossed!

Hoping I don't pull a Sonny Bono,
Jenna

My Life in Bullet Form

2008-12-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some updates on my life that you might or might not care about. Feel free to read if it so moves you:

1. I finished finals yesterday. I only have one semester left in the classroom. I don't know how I'm going to get through it. I am so very over school. I studied approximately ten minutes for all four finals. I did really well on the first couple without studying, but I probably failed the last one, and I can't even make myself care about doing good or bad. I know I sound like a whiny baby. I know I am supposed to be grateful for the opportunity to go to school. I know I am supposed to thank God for the intelligence that allows me to do what I am doing, and for a great career field, and a job I enjoy. I know I am supposed to be thankful for the opportunity to finish a Masters and Bachelors degree in half the time that most people do it, but right now, I'm not. I've tried bribing myself, I've tried convincing myself, I've tried lying to myself, I've tried faking it. Maybe the break will give me a better attitude.

2. My dog A.J. died today. We've had him since I was 7. He was old and blind and had had a stroke, so its for the best, but still sad.
Also today I have to give Bella to Amber so she can watch Bella while my family and I go skiing. I'm really going to miss her. Today is a sad day in the area of dogs for me.

P.S. Amber, thanks for watching Bella, you're the best!

3. I realized that I have left some lose ends on my blog. A few posts ago, I asked everyone to pick my 5 favorite songs off the Taylor Swift album. They are as follows:
1. Fifteen
2. White Horse
3. You're Not Sorry
4. The Way I Loved You
5. Forever & Always

Congrats to JMob and Foster, who, in a joint effort guess all five. Unfortunately, you only get a part of the blog dedicated to you, instead of the whole thing, but you guys are still awesome!

4. I also forgot to tell you guys about the tattoo I am considering. I want to get a ring tattoo on my left ring finger of the verse Psalm 45:10-13. It's inspired from the Perry Noble message that I wrote about here.

One problem with the tattoo? I'm afraid people will see it and think I'm hip and modern and its a wedding ring and I'm already married. Hopefully my nerdy appearance will convince them otherwise. Feel free to share your thoughts, comments, and concerns. Actually, I'm begging you, tell me what you think.

5. Recently, JMob, and someone else, although I don't remember who, posted this website called Iamsecond on their blogs. Since I stole this from JMob, I feel as though I should give him some credit. You can get to his blog here. Check out the blog from today, it has a really cool quote on it.

Anyways, back to the subject at hand. I have been watching videos every once in a while on this website and I feel like you should watch them because they are really cool. This one right here is my favorite so far (click the here, in case you didn't catch that). It made me cry. I havn't had a chance to watch all of them yet though. Which ones are your favorites?

6. Finally, I am in need of some prayer. I am playing around with the idea of doing something really cool and life changing and big for the Kingdom over the summer. It's also something really scary. I don't want to tell you about it yet and jinx it, but be praying that God will show me what He wants me to do and that the doors down the path I should take will be open.

Also, I am still trying to sell those Cowboys tickets I bought. The game is on Saturday, so some prayer is definitely needed!

Enjoying the first day of Christmas break,
Jenna

Today was a Great Day!

2008-12-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Today is a great day for many reasons:

1. Today is the day of David's birth, so tell him happy birthday. I am very blessed to have you as a friend David, so way to be born!

2. No kids showed up at work today, so I got paid for driving to the church and back home. Excellent.

3. Last night, it snowed, and it really isn't the holiday season without snow.

4. Last night, I wore flannel pjs and slept with my electric blanket. Both of these things make me uber happy.

5. Today, I told my 8 o'clock class teacher that I couldn't come because there was still ice on the road at 6:30. Then, my teacher's for my 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock classes told me not to worry about driving down because speakers canceled and such. So, I got to skip class, without be charged for skipping. Its even better than the snow day I was hoping for because everyone else in my class had to go to school and I didn't. Suckers.

6. Haley bought Bella a sweater because when she goes to the bathroom she shivers and it is a really cute sweater.

7. Tomorrow I don't have to go to school until ten, and it is my last day of classes for the semester.

8. Everyone is on their way over to play Mexican train, so it is guaranteed to be a good night.

9. Finally, I recently discovered that Meredith has been secretly reading my blog. Dear Meredith,
This is not creepy and I appreciate all the nice things you said. I have also added you to my blog subscriptions. I'm glad my rambles bring you some joy.
Much Love,
Jenna

Also, this realization has left me wondering, who else secretly reads my blog? Consider this your opportunity to come clean and tell me. I won't think your creepy or anything. Of course, if I let you tell me now, and you don't, then I will think you're creepy if I find out later. Just kidding, but you should tell me now.

Enjoying the day!
Jenna

I'd Like to Share This with You

2008-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

I have 7 papers, a presentation, and four finals in the next 2 weeks, but in true Jenna fashion, I am putting them all off until the last minutes and writing this blog. In all honesty, what I am about to share with you is:

1. cooler
2. better
3. more interesting
4. more important

Than anything school related.

Anyways, recently, I stumbled upon a very good book online. By stumbled upon I mean when God created the universe He decided that it would be a good idea for me to read this book at this time in my life and He made sure I found it and read it.

Anyways, the book is by a woman named Cindy Beall. When I say book, I mean its really a series of long blogs. Regardless of what it is, it is incredible.

Cindy has an incredible story. Married to a youth minister for about 5 years, Cindy and her husband felt called to move from Texas to Oklahoma and serve at a church there. The day after Cindy arrived in Oklahoma, her husband came and confessed to her that he had had an addiction to porn for many years, which had lead to many extra marital affairs, and that one of the women had recently contacted to him to inform him that she was pregnant with his child.

And then, amazingly enough, God helped Cindy to forgive her husband, repair her marriage, become friends with her husband's lover, and genuinely love her husband's son.

The book covers Cindy's experience in this journey and is truly an incredible one. My favorite chapter was Chapter 8, It's Time to Forgive. I'd like to share a couple of passages from it with you:

"It would be very convenient if we all felt like forgiving people. But, that is rarely the case. We often have to make a choice to forgive, even if we don’t feel like it. And it’s wise that we do, because our feelings are often misleading. But the more we make the choice to forgive on a daily basis, the more we will begin to see our wounds healed and resentment diminish. An indication that you have healed from a wound caused by someone else is when you cease to feel resentment against your offender. My mentor says, “You know you’ve healed from the hurt that someone else’s actions have caused when you can look back on the situation and it’s just a fact.” I think that is probably the best explanation I’ve ever heard about healing."

"There are people who have caused hurt and haven’t ever asked for forgiveness. There are days when I don’t feel like forgiving. But, God never asked me to “feel” like forgiving. He just said to do it. This command is far from easy. Forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve forgiveness goes against everything my flesh wants. Why shouldn’t they have to suffer like I have? But that’s just it. They are suffering. It’s just a different type of suffering. It’s the feeling you have inside knowing that the pain that another person is experiencing is a result of your choices. How helpless is that?"

"You’ve heard it said, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” When we spend our time thinking and dwelling upon things that cannot be changed, we are wasting it. In another sense, we are also worrying. Matthew 6:27 says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” I think we have all wasted our time by worrying at some point in our lives. Whether it is about financial security or our children or our health, we’ve done it. And plenty of us still do it regularly. So, has it helped us? I mean, can you think back to a time when you worried and say, “Yeah, man, worrying about my children’s future totally helped my situation. I’m so glad I did it and spent those hours consumed with what ifs”? No, you don’t feel that way, and neither do I. We don’t want to worry. We want to have complete confidence in God. After all, in practical terms, worrying is our inability to trust God. Ouch. So, if you and I worry about something, we are basically not trusting God? If the shoe fits. And I think it does."

You can (and should) read the rest of Chapter 8 here.

Also, I highly recommend reading the whole book. Even if you're a boy, or even if you're life story in no way related to Cindy's, it still has some good life lessons to be learned. Plus, its a short and quick read. You can read the entire book here.

Finally, ironically enough, Cindy grew up in Georgetown, graduated from Georgetown High School, went to Texas State University, and spent some time in San Antonio. Creepy right? I think it's just further proof of how great I am going to turn out.

Enjoying Lessons in Literature,
Jenna

Dog Vomit and God

2008-11-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

I'm about to make an analogy about God using a dog throwing up. You probably think I can't do it, and maybe I can't, but I'm going to try and we'll see how it goes.

A week or so ago, Haley and I went to lunch at Jason's Deli, and we left Bella and Boss (Whitney's dog) outside in the backyard.

On a completely unrelated side note, if there was a support group for Jason's Deli, I would probably need to go, because Haley and I go several times a week, and probably keep the San Marcos one in business.

Anyways, I digress. When we returned from yet another delightful trip to Jason's, we discovered that Boss had figured out how to open the backdoor, and had gotten inside and eaten an entire candy bowl full of Hersey's chocolate kisses.

Mind you, this candy bowl held two whole bags of kisses.

Luckily, Haley's dad is a vet so we called him, and he recommended making the dogs drink hydrogen peroxide so that they would throw up.

I know that sounds cruel, but it's the dog's version of getting your stomach pumped apparently.

Anyways, after giving each dog a ridiculous amount of hydrogen peroxide (apparently we own dogs with super stomachs), they threw up. Bella only once because Boss only let her get about three pieces of chocolate. Boss, however, threw up more vomit than I have ever seen in my life put together. Literally, the first two piles were the size of a human infant. I took a picture, scroll down fast if you don't want to see it:

If you look really close, you can see that there are whole Hersey's kisses, and a good sized stick in the vomit as well.

He threw up four or five times, and afterward, when we tried to hose it off of the sidewalk, it stuck. It took quite a while to get it off.

Needless to say, it was disgusting.

So anyways, I'm sure you're all thinking, "Jenna, how in your infinite wisdom are you going to tie this into God?"

Well, here is goes blog readers.

I think that sometimes there are things in our life that God wants us to get rid of. At first, He tells us in the form of a simple nudge, then a gentle warning, then probably a hit over the head with a two by four.

I don't really know the exact process, but I think that if we ignore the warnings, God takes the things away, rather violently, not because He wants to hurt us, but because He knows what's best for us, and He wants us to learn our lesson and remember to listen to Him the next time

Similar to the way that we wanted to remove the chocolate from Boss's stomach. We didn't make him drink hydrogen peroxide because we thought it would be fun to watch. We did it because we knew it was for the best.

Maybe that's a stretch, but surprisingly enough, Boss throwing up infant sized piles of throw up taught me this.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, that no matter what it is that God is trying to take away, a relationship, a bad habit, a habitual sin, pride, a refusal for help, whatever, God will find a way to remove it from your life. He doesn't want to do it in a painful way, but He will if necessary, because He is God, and He knows what is best.

So listen to Him.

I was now going to try to relate dogs preferring to eat their vomit to God sometimes bringing things we let go back into our lives when the timing is right, but that was too hard, so just know that I think that happens sometimes too.

Deep thoughts from dog vomit,
Jenna