(Sorry if these thoughts are super scattered, I can't really think much as I am currently sitting in the common room of my dorm and hanging out with some friends while updating this blog!)
God Cares/KPC
So some of you know that I am able to go to God Cares every Tuesday to not only help out/work, but also to hang out. It has been such a blessing! I have been able to see... everyone! I have LOVED seeing everyone, but it is hard to hang out with them, because the time that I am able to be there, they are in classes. However, I am willing to grasp every moment that I will be able to be with them! :) It's also been such a blessing to hang out with Mr. Dallen! It's great to get off campus and be with people that have known me for more than a couple of months. More on this at another time.
Field trips
Kisube Tombs- One day we went to the Kisube tombs which is in Kampala. It is the burial site of 4 of the Baganda Kings. (Baganda is one of the tribes of Uganda. These people occupy Kampala/Mukono and other parts of central Uganda). It was a great learning experience - I posted some pictures on facebook... check them out!
Kabaka's Palace- Last weekend we went to the palace of the current king of Baganda. It was super interesting, as it helped us to actually learn a lot about the history of Uganda. The one part of the palace that was the most touching was when we hiked down the hill behind the house and saw the torture chamber of Idi Amin. (Those of you who are unaware of the history of Uganda should know that he was a past president of Uganda, and he killed many innocent Ugandans throughout his reign). It was crazy as we saw handprints from prisoners that attempted to escape, and human bones in one of the rooms. I will be posting pictures on this ASAP. :)
Class
Class has been pretty normal.... but something funny..... So for my class on African Traditional Religions, my friend Tia and I had to give a present in class last week. The day before the presentation, our teacher tells us that we have to present on circumcision. We had no idea how to approach the subject, but everyone kept telling us to ask specific boys from Honours College (The community of people that we are living with in UCU). So we took our laptops, notebooks and went down to the boys dorm to talk to them about circumcision... you can imagine the awkwardness. Little did we know that we needed our Camera. As soon as we went down there, instead of being awkward about the topic, they were soo excited to talk about their culture. It was so great as they talked about the different rituals, and even did the circumcision dance for us (fully clothed of course). Although this seems irrelevant, it was really a turning point as it broke the ice between a lot of the Honours College. It was so great to get to know some of these men who have such a rich culture. I have been loving getting to know them.
(Oh and the presentation went well. I have the dance on video if you would ever like to view it!)
Watoto Church
Some of you may have heard of this church because of Chris Tomlin. The Watoto children's choir is the one that sings with him during his song "Love." I have been wanting to go soo bad, but if I am going to Kampala for Sunday, I would rather go to Pastor Dongo's church. However, I got the opportunity to go to an all-nighter praise and worship and prayer night last Friday night at Watoto. We arrived there at 9 pm, and left at 6 am. It was a really great experience, I loved it. It was great to see the enthusiasm that these youths in Uganda have for Christ.
Valentine's Day
This has been my favorite day here by far. Earlier in the week, us American students decided to host a valentine's day party for Honours College. However, the night before Valentine's Day, the men of Honours College asked if they could make dinner for us instead. It was super special, because not only are they boys.. but Ugandan boys. Through many conversations earlier in the semester, we have learned that it is bad for Ugandan men to be in the kitchen. They all said that they would never cook for their wives, that cooking is a women's job. That is why, this offer was Extra special.
Throughout the morning, Honours College was gone at a leadership retreat and it was super sad and lonely to be here without them. I missed them! However, it was good to be able to get some hoemwork done. They finally came back, and the boys started cooking. A couple of us went down there to attempt to help out... but they kept kicking us out of the kitchen. A couple hours later... (around... 9 or 10) dinner was served. We went into the serving room, and the men were lined up waiting to serve us. It was so sweet of them! We then took our plates outside and ate by candlelight... while projecting a movie on the wall of the building: The Proposal. It was such a fun time of fellowship, serving, and fostering great friendships. :) This was easily my favorite Valentine's Day so far!
Friends
I have been LOVING getting to know Honours College. I can't even THINK about leaving in 2 months, it hurts my heart too much. They're such a great group of people. I have loved getting to know them through late night talks, sharing meals, etc. I am so thankful for this special group of people, and am so blessed by them.
The USP (American) group is so great too. This semester is a LOT smaller than previous semesters (by half), and it has been so great to get to know everyone on such a personal level. I love getting to know them better, and we're all so suprised at how comfortable we feel with each other within such a small time.
The only group of people I still feel unsettled with is the kids at God Cares. Many of you know that the reason that I valued last year's trip so much is that I was able to really connect with the high school kids. It has been hard because the only times that I have been able to go to God Cares this semester is when they're at the high school, which is at another site. I pray that the Lord will provide opportunities for me to be able to really connect once again with not only the older kids, but also the rest of my loved ones at God Cares. :)
Well.. that's about it I guess. I can't really think of anything else. I wrote an essay about things that I have been learning recently while I am here, and if you would like a copy of that, I would be more than happy to email it to you, so let me know! :) Tomorrow we are leaving for our rural homestays in Eastern Uganda. It is at a place called Kapchurwa, meaning A place for a friend. :) How cute is that?? After the week there, we will be meeting some Honours College students at Sipi Falls, a hiking place and resort, and we will be there for the weekend to debrief. I am excited for this experience in Kapchurwa, and yet sad to be leaving my friends here for a week! Please pray for me while I am gone, that I will be open to new experiences and learning opportunities while I am living with this rural family.
Love you all so much! :)
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