Snails and Hippos save the day!

My first "teacher gift" ever. It's amazing what a stuffed hippo in a coffee mug can do to boost one's morale for the day. When the 7-8th grade kids, who typically are my favorite students to work with, were unusually crazy and disruptive, I just looked at the hippo sitting on my desk, thought of the student who gave it to me, and suddenly things were ok. :)


This morning we had a friendly visitor in the classroom. This picture doesn't do it justice, as it was roughly the size of my hand. Needless to say, however, I think the kids found it much more entertaining than our discussion on equal fractions and square roots :)

Maid of Honor- Ugandan style

It's 1:30 PM here on Monday afternoon, and I would normally be in school right now, but I had to take a sick day as a result of several trips to the bathroom to throw up. So, now that those fun details are out of the way, I'll get on with the story :-)

Sharon, a close friend I met while studying here last year, met a Ugandan man during our rural homestays a year ago, and a few months later, he proposed. I attended their "American wedding" in May of this year. Yesterday was their "African ceremony." Since they were already married, it wasn't a real wedding, it was just a celebration. But it was exciting and cultural, nonetheless. The ceremony started at 2pm, but Sharon picked me up around 1:30, then went to get her hair done, and we didn't arrive at the ceremony until 5:00pm. . . "African time" at its best, I suppose. We arrived in a 15 passenger van that drove us to the head table. When we stepped out, a large portion of the crowd greeted us with "ulations" (long, wavering, high-pitched sounds resembling the howl of a dog or wolf with a trilling quality, according to Wikipedia, but if you ask me they sound more like high pitched squawking birds). What I did not know when I arrived at the wedding was that I would be considered her "maid of honor" and sit next to her at the head table. This also meant that the best man and I followed the couple around all evening, stood behind them while cutting the cake, stood with them as they gave speeches, and walked around with them while they greeted the guests. The best man constantly asked me throughout the evening when he could attend one of these ceremonies for me. I told him I'm nowhere close to marriage, and haven't found the right guy yet, and he then took it upon himself to introduce me to nearly EVERY single man at the ceremony! He told them all, "She's available, and looking for a husband! Won't you help her?" Ha. I don't think that's quite an accurate description, but it did create some interesting (and very awkward) moments. The ceremony ended with dancing to Ugandan music, as is typical for these types of events. I was peacefully enjoying watching everyone else dance when suddenly the MC of the night, a 50-60 year old man, who was completely drunk, grabbed me and got me to dance with him. He kept asking people to take his picture as he danced with the "muzungu." He was so proud of himself for teaching a muzungu how to dance. It was a fun evening, and it was great to finally see Sharon again. Some of the adult leaders from the university were there, as well, and it was nice to see them again. It was certainly an interesting and cultural experience, but it was enjoyable. And, possibly one of the best parts of the evening was the amazing local food! I haven't been able to find local food since I've been here, and I've been wanting to try it all again. The wedding had matooke (smashed bananas), noodles, rice, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, g-nut sauce (a favorite of mine), beef, chicken, and pineapple. It was a fabulous meal, though apparently it didn't sit too well with my stomach, since I'm not at school today.




In other news, I drove the VIA car on Saturday for the first time. Granted I only drove it for about 10 minutes each way (on a trip that should have taken five, but I was too afraid to go fast because it was raining and terribly muddy--much like driving in snow) and I stayed on mostly back roads without traffic. You have to start somewhere though. We drive on the left side here, and traffic is unlike anything I've ever seen in America. You have to be ridiculously aggressive if you plan on going anywhere. Many nights, traffic is at a standstill for hours. It's crazy! I've only driven once, but I eventually hope to gain enough courage to drive in the city. We'll see.

World's Worst Bargainer, World's Best Bargain?

Yesterday a group of us took bodas in to town to visit the Friday market. The city has several permanent craft markets set up for tourists to buy gifts, but this market is set up once a week and is made up of tents and tarps full of various gifts and useful items. It's basically a small area of land completely packed with people. Our first boda driver took us to the wrong market, and we ended up at a permanent market in the middle of the city. After looking around there, we decided to attempt to get to the Friday market. We took another boda, which may have been the scariest ride of my life, weaving in and out of traffic, being literally inches away from cars (and at one point, my leg brushed against the side of a car), and even riding on the sidewalk to get around the traffic. Bodas are certainly more convenient and a MUCH quicker form of transportation than a car or taxi, and they're tons of fun, but they can be pretty scary. Anyway, we finally arrived at Friday market and were amazed at the thousands of items for sale. On previous mission trips to the Bahamas, Guatemala, and even last year in Uganda, I realized I may be the world's worst bargainer, but yesterday confirmed it once again. Typically, when a mzungu (white person) asks how much something costs, they'll tell us a very high price, and we are supposed to bargain down to a lower more reasonable price. Yesterday, however, I asked them how much, they told me, and I handed it over to them! I'm sure I'll get better at it over time, but it seemed to me I was already getting awesome deals, and this is how these people make their living, so I felt ok giving them more than the locals would pay them. Even without bargaining, for roughly $15 I paid for the 25 minute boda into the city, the 10 minute boda ride back to the market, 5 necklaces, one bracelet, a wallet, and a pair of shoes. Not too bad if you ask me! We're looking forward to many more trips to the Friday market, and probably many other markets as well! Hopefully as the year progresses, I'll become more confident in my bartering skills.

Last night all WGM missionaries and VIA (volunteers in action)went to a mongolian bbq for dinner. It was probably one of the most delicious meals I have ever had. We piled our plates high with vegetables of all sorts, spices, sauces, and various meats (pork, beef, chicken, and lamb) and then watched as they fried it for us and put it on top of rice. It was fabulous, and I didn't know places like that even existed here! I continue to be amazed at how much is available here in the city, compared to where I spent my semester last year. It's certainly not like living in America or anything, but it's much more modern than I had imagined.

Tonight several of the younger teachers are having a pitch in at one of the girl's houses. It will be interesting to see what dishes everyone brings. Starting in September, instead of purchasing the catered food at lunch, I think I'm going to purchase from the local menu. It's half the price, and I'm really looking forward to eating matooke (smashed bananas) again! Tomorrow afternoon (Sunday), I'm attending the wedding ceremony of one of the girls who studied here the same semester I did last year. She met a Ugandan man while here last year, he proposed, and she said yes! I attended their "American wedding" in the States this past May, and tomorrow will be their African ceremony. The leaders from the university will also be there, so I am incredibly excited to see some familiar faces and reunite with great friends.

Still trying to find ways to connect with the culture. Still trying to find ways to be more assertive and discipline more in the classroom. Still trying to figure out how to cook, since everything must be started from scratch and takes much longer than cooking at home did. Still praying for friendships to develop, still praying for connections with the kids. Still praying for creativity in lesson planning. Thank you to those of you who support me in prayer...I couldn't do it without you!

Mukama Yebazibwe

Today I was reminded once again that "church" has absolutely nothing to do with the building, but rather with the people who make up the church. For the first several weeks, WGM missionaries are taking us around to various African Gospel Churches (AGC) so we can see which churches WGM is affiliated with. This morning we went to a small church built with sticks and mud. We sat on small wooden benches for several hours. Chickens ran in and out of the building during the service, and goats and cows wandered around just outside. There were no lights, there was no sound system, there was no electricity, but the presence of the Lord was there. There was no coffee shop, there was no bookstore, there was no fancy piano. There were holes in the walls and the rain leaked in as we sat through the service, but the Holy Spirit was there, and the people were genuinely worshiping the Lord. We sang songs for over an hour, then heard a wonderful message, then sang more songs. Various church attenders shared testimonies from their week. They thanked the Lord for rain, because Uganda has been in drought. They thanked the Lord that their families are alive and that each one of us made it to church that day. They thanked the Lord for the simplest of things...things I too often take for granted. They worshiped, and it was awesome. They had nothing but a mud and stick building, and yet they truly worshiped the Lord. Many of them shared that many nights they do not have enough money to put food on the dinner table, and night after night, they skip meals, and yet they praised the Lord. They were full of joy and they were content. And that is why I love the Christian African culture.

Now, please don't think I'm putting down the western churches. I'm not trying to say there is anything wrong with large churches who have fancy music equipment or coffee shops and bookstores. Those things are wonderful, and an awesome asset for fellowship at church. All I'm saying is maybe sometimes we spend too much time focusing on what our church has or doesn't have, and too little time genuinely worshiping and praising the Lord. We have more than we need, and we don't depend on rain. We won't run out of water, and our children aren't dying of starvation. The church shouldn't be about a place or a building, but about a group of people following the Lord, praising Him no matter what. That is what I saw this morning, and that is how I want to live.

My roommate and I continue to struggle with living in our "missionary bubble" and are trying to search for opportunities to involve ourselves with the Ugandan culture. Right now, we walk to school each day, teach classes, and walk home. We live in a huge house with electricity, internet, and running water. We're incredibly thankful for our living conditions, and very thankful that we're protected by a guard and a tall wall around our home. But we're not being immersed in the African culture. We're not getting to know the Ugandan families who live just down the street from us in mud huts. I am realizing more and more how thankful I am for the experience I had last year in Uganda, and the awesome opportunity I had when living with my Ugandan host family. Yes, there were plenty of challenges, and yes, I'm thankful to live in a home with a toilet this year, but when I lived with my family, I became one of them. The neighbors treated me as an "African" and I learned how to live with little. I learned how to be sensitive to the culture, and I learned how dependent this culture has to be on the Lord. When it didn't rain, I didn't shower. When my host mom didn't get hours at her job, we didn't have meat that week for lunch. They couldn't walk down the road to the corner drugstore and purchase medicine if they were sick. Instead, they stayed home and prayed. Yes, the semester with my host family presented many challenging situations, some I would rather not have experienced, but it was through those experiences that I saw my family radically depend on God for survival. It was through those situations I saw my family depend on prayer. It was through those situations I learned to be sensitive to the African culture, and to love it and embrace it. Yet now, here I am, living in Uganda, but hardly feeling like it. My room here is twice as big as my bedroom at home. Our power was off all day yesterday, and our fridge and water heater stopped working, but even when the power is out, we have back-up lights and power for 24 hours. All this just goes to say, I suppose, that I really want to find some way to get involved with the Ugandan culture. I don't want to spend my year here walking to school, teaching, and walking home. I want to find some way to immerse myself in this culture and remain sensitive to what's going on around me. I don't want to grow so accustomed to the western culture that I forget there are people living right down the street from me who literally have nothing.

On a lighter note, I've been keeping a list of things that are more difficult to accomplish here. So far my list includes the following:

-cooking: no directions on anything and boiling foods takes twice as long, not to mention the need to bleach every fruit or vegetable bought in any store and boil any water you want to drink or use for cooking

-walking: As a result of the roads and the enormous amount of dust, walking becomes more difficult because you must constantly glance down and make sure it's an ok area to walk on, and you must walk slower in order to avoid sliding down hills and falling

-starting new rolls of toilet paper: Now, this one's pretty silly, but TP isn't perforated here, so you basically have to tear apart the roll until you finally get it started

-using the microwave: Well, our microwave anyway. It's obviously very close to dying, as only one button on it works, and it only works once each time. The outlets here have on/off switches, and we keep the microwave switched off unless we use it. So, when we turn it on, we can push the "one minute plus" button once, wait for the minute to be up, switch the power off and back on again, and repeat the process until our food is warm.

-Making ice cubes: It's a wonderful blessing to have a fridge/freezer in our house, and I'm thankful to be able to have cold drinks instead of room temperature ones like last year. However, making ice requires boiling water, letting it cool,and then finally putting it in the freezer to freeze.

-Teaching: Not having any technology whatsoever does present some challlenges, and makes it difficult to figure out how to design creative lesson plans. Aside from no technology, we have very few resources like markers or art supplies for doing projects

Such is life in Africa :) I constantly think back to my semester here last year, and the fact that I said I'd never come back, and yet here I am. It's amazing how God works. I'm glad He knows what's best for us, and that He promises to take care of us. This is quite a different experience from last year, but I have no doubt I will learn just as much, be challenged just as much (the first week at school proved that), and hopefully grow just as much!

Mukama Yebazibwe! (Praise the Lord) Amiina (Amen)- A common phrase spoken in many churches around this area

Random notes after three days in the classroom:

-I now teach 6-12 grade. Because they combined the 7th and 8th graders this week (so the we'd have one class of four instead of two classes with one and three students), they added 6th graders to the secondary curriculum. I have four classes each day, plus 20 minutes of devotions.

- The curriculum we use for math would be awesome, if only I were teaching in America! Already, on day one in the book, students seemed quite confused by the wording and phrases in the American book. Every example has something to do with the US, and many international students have never heard of many of the places/examples used in the book. I'll likely have to rewrite all tests/quizzes so the students understand, though that's a tough task, since I don't really know the culture well enough to know what to replace the American phrases with. It will be an interesting year.

- I am learning more each day about the math program last year, and how it was basically non-existent. The principal told me to "put the hammer down" and be as strict as I can with these kids because most of them failed math last year and are used to sitting in class and goofing around doing nothing. Today when I asked the students what they did last year in math, they responded similarly. "Nothing. We sat here, did some worksheets, and played games. The teacher sat at his desk and said nothing." The faculty/administration is obviously wanting this year to be different, drastically different, which sometimes feels like a lot of pressure, but at the same time, it seems like anything should be improvement from last year.

- I have four classes, sizes 8, 4, 5, and 11. The entire 7-12 grade only has 20 kids. They say many kids left the school last year after it had so many problems. The awesome thing is that these kids are from ALL over. I have one student from Australia, one from Ethiopia, a couple from the UK, one from the Philippines, from Kenya, from America, and from Uganda. And every one of them has a different accent. It's amazing :)

- Kristi and I walked to town this afternoon to get groceries. We wanted to be outside and exercise rather than take a boda, so we set out, a little unsure of where we were going, and started on our way to the store. It was a 30 minute walk and quite relaxing on the way there, with empty backpacks. The way home was a bit more exhausting, with our backpacks STUFFED full with groceries. At least we have some food...now we just have to learn how to cook here!

- Some days are better than others. Day one of teaching was pretty decent. Day two made me want to quit teaching forever. Day three was in between. Again I say, it's going to be a challenging year...a good, but challenging year.

- There's not enough hours in the day to complete everything on my daily to-do list. But that's not because I'm in Uganda...that's just life, I suppose.

And with that, while there are still many more stories/thoughts I could share, I must plan another lesson and get some sleep. Here's for hoping day four goes better than the rest.