Wow a whole week in Africa already!!  In some ways it has been so fast, but in another way so much has happened it seems like I have been here longer than 7 days.  So far I have experienced some nights without power, five+ days without running water (my bathroom upstairs works, but the ones downstairs don’t… and we have a tank that collects rain water off the roof so we haven’t been completely waterless, we just have to fill up the buckets and carry water inside for the kid’s bath time.) I’ve got to go to the dentist with Don, so he can get dentures, the surgery (clinic) with Fauziya, she has some kind of fungal infection that causes little bumps all over her body (pray that it doesn’t spread to all the kids.) and I’ve been to three different open markets that sell Food, furniture, and hand crafts with Mama Sara, uncle Joseph and Esther.  All in the first week and that was just part of it!  It has been truly amazing so far, and I think it will just get better!!.  

The weather has been pretty hot and humid most days (about 90*F I’m guessing plus humidity is high) it must be bad when the Ugandans say it’s hot outside!! J Sunrise is about 6am and sunset is about 6pm, and it never changes, and so far I haven’t need to use an alarm, I automatically wake up with enough time to have a little quiet time, and get myself ready before I go down stairs and help get the kids ready!

The Food is so good, but so filling, after a week, though, I think I’m getting used to it and able to eat my whole plate full faster than before.  I also think I’m getting addicted to African Tea (tea, milk, sugar) which is served every morning with my breakfast! I’ve been trying a lot of new foods that I’m not used to, plain avocado, potato’s that are sweet, different kinds of banana, a green banana, and one that is only for roasting they call a Gonja… and there is so many more, that I can’t even explain and have yet to try.    

The kids have been so wonderful to play with.  I’ve been teaching them the John 1:12, and they like to singing it back to me to show me how well they can sing it with out my help!  And they have been teaching me a lot of fun songs too.  During devotion time before bed we sing and dance around the room, and then listen to a story.

And when the kids go to bed, and after the staff devotion, is when my brothers Godfrey and Moses and sister Lois, try to teach me to dance! Haha We have some fun times already!  I think I'm liking my new home! 

More Pictures:

All the kids were putting flowers in my hair and saying Princess Melissa! 

Don and Carol

 

Brenda 

 

Auntie Esther is painting Esther's toenails and the other girls. Some of the boys were watching too! Qutix is what they call it! 

Our new furniture for the home bought at the open furniture market. All the furniture are hand made. A couch, 2 chairs, a table, and 2 hanging racks all packed on the back of the truck

Everyday this week we watched Puss in Boats! The absolutely LOVE this movie.  All of them can quote the whole movie!  

Joshua, the oldest is helping dry the clothes.

After washing their sandals, they decided to wash the car too! 

Carol, Jerom, and Emma. 

On you Marks, Get Set, GO! 

Mary's new chair

It's a surprise party and the surprise is on you! 

Oscar kept saying this too me, and I just had to get it on camera.  It's so adorable! 

The Moment you all have been waiting for.... My First Blog post in Africa!

Where to begin!

I have been here for two whole days, and still so much that I can tell you! The Full time Staff: Ester, Lois, Monica, Godfry, and Moses are the ones that live here at the home, and then Joseph and Sara who are the founders of the ministry, live off-site with their 8month baby girl, ABBY! (all are from Uganda except for Sara who is from Texas!) They are so wonderful, to help me adjust to everything, and everyone. They even gave me a cell phone- I don't know if I'll use it except for the time and maybe the flashlight, I still think it is overly Amazing!  I am adjusting to the culture, time, and routine very well but I think I still have a lot more to learn!  These kids here are so sweet and lovable (well not always towards each other, but they are pretty young and kids will be kids.)  So far I have felt nothing but kindness and loving attitudes towards me from everyone.


Again there hasn't been one time, other then when they are sleeping, that there isn't one or more kids trying to crawl on my lap, or back, or just snuggle up close and get some loving.  (I can't stop thinking about how long they will act like this... if it's just because I'm new or if they will be like this the whole two and half months! :)   

9 of these 13 kids attend school just down the road from the home; Today I helped walk them to and from school, and all the kids in the school seemed so amazed to see me (Mzungu- white person) All the kids would gather around me and try to get close to touch me with the biggest excitment in thier eyes!  I came with Auntie Lois, to pick them up and they didn't even notice her, they all came out of there classes and ran straight towards me ( I felt like a celebraty or something!)  And the 9 of these kids that I know, loved to show me off "This is My Auntie Melissa..." "My Mzungu friend...!" 
haha  I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!  


I haven't seen much of town or sites yet, I arrived when it was dark, and the first few days I have only left to see the school and back to the home.  They are showing me Banana Trees, coffee, jack fruit, and some kind of fruit call popple (I don't know if that is spelled right, or if it is any different than the popple trees we have in MN.   Tomorrow is when we go to the market, and they say that they are going to buy a bunch of these fruits and stuff that I have to try! So I can tell you how that turns out later. I did see a couple stars and an almost full moon tonight, before it started to rain, I was so surprised to stars though cause I know we are in a BIG city.

The Kids love to have their picture taken... so when I have my camera out they all pose and then they want to see it! So here is a select few that I thought I would share so far..

 Carol modeling her new dress that I brought to her from the WCA FCCLA! This one fits, Carol is so tiny that they have trouble finding clothes that actually fit.  We tried one of the smallest ones on after she woke up from her nap with wet pants, just to see if it fit, and she loved it so much, she put it back on today. 

Hey it's me attempting to take a picture of myself, and though it's not the best picture, I thought you wanted to see one with me in them. :)  The kids love playing with my hair and messing with it ) so I'm I'm blaming it on that on why my hair looks so weird, it's a new style to them and the love touching it!  This is Carol and Emma snuggling up.  They are the two smallest kids , here!  

Cucos is showing me how to play with the tires.  It is amazing that they are their favorite thing to play with. 

Mary!! She is Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, epilepsy, and some Autism too.  Though she is out grown it a lot, keeping her in her chair keeps her some what contained.

Emma's hand is so tiny, and I'm so White!! 

Fusia posing for the camera, and Annett in the back ground!  

Oscar LOVED the barrel of monkey's I brought. He hung them in the bushes! :) 

Brenda, Little Emma, Annett, and Jerom wanted their picture taken! 

 

Joel is finishing his snack, POPCORN while Jerom tried to get in the picture!  

I didn't get all the kids, but I still have a long time to go!

I really don't know what to say anymore at this time, other than Thanks for reading this and praying for me.

Hello Again!

I've been visiting Bemidji this week, and last night I even got to go to youth group again.  It was so good to be back in town and hanging out with friends and the high schoolers again!
During youth group, we watched a promotion video for another mission trip that the high schools have a chance to go on for a weekend M.O.V.E. During that video was playing this song by Tim Hughes- God of Justice (We Must Go.)  I remembered that this was one of the songs that spoke to me when I was deciding to go on this mission trip to Uganda.  Especially the part where it says, "keep us from just singing, move us into action..."   It is so easy to just sing words on the page, and even in the mist of worship we believe what we are singing- but as soon as the song is done then we forget about what we where just singing about.  I don't know if that happens to a lot of people, but I know I'm sometimes guilty of just getting caught in the worship songs only when I'm singing them.  That is what I want to avoid, I don't think it is right that we can sing a song so passionately during worship time, and then when worship is done we go live our normal lives in our little bubbles of christian community, were nothing bad could happen to us!

I know that we are not all called to go overseas to serve, and we don't have to travel so far to feed the hungry, or stand beside the broken... because they are all around us! But we are called to Move Forward and make a difference to those who need it most.  Matthew 25:40 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

I just felt like I needed to share that with you all! I hope you enjoy the song!

Here is the newsletter for February the ministry sent out!

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment?ui=2&ik=d2b03e554a&view=att&th=1354682b7836f388&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8c3Aw0HNVvsX0zqDKS2Lva&sadet=1328823396088&sads=iLesyIubIExnoM-8RQ2B39yjcUA&sadssc=1

Here is a link to the January newsletter that the ministry sends out monthly, if you want to read what what God is doing in the Orphanage, and to see what kind of environment I will be living in!

Rafiki Ministries January Newsletter\

Today is February 1st; It marks one short month until I leave (yes 29 days)!  My original departure was scheduled for tomorrow, and oh boy, I would not be ready, so in a way I'm really thankful for another month to really prepare myself.  I don't think it has really hit me what exactly I'm getting myself into, I just feel a mixture of excitement, nervous, scared, and probably some other things too but I can't help to just smile when I think about all the things that I will learn and do on this trip! :)

By saying yes to God, and be willing to leave the country by myself, for so long has been extremely hard.  I have always dreamed that I would go on many mission trips and serve the Lord anywhere He wants to send me, but when it actually happens and I committed and so close to do so, WOW, its has been a huge step in Faith (hence the name of the blog haha).  Learning to trust Him with everything, my life, my financial needs, the strength for friends and family to believe, and so much more.  By saying Yes to this trip has also opened my eyes to really see how many lives I've touched here, just by seeing all the support, care and the other reactions I've gotten when I tell friends what God is up too in my life! So a BIG THANKS to all of you who happen to be reading this right now: I know I'm not going alone on this trip, because knowing that you care, is reassuring that this is all going to be worth it in the end, and God has all control!

I also did something crazy this last week.  I applied to Oak Hills!  It was just bound to happen when everyone thinks that I go there anyway, so I guess everyone saw it coming- except for me!!  But I am really excited to spend a year digging into the word, and learning new truth. I have only committed to a one year Bible certificate for now: but who knows where God will lead me next!

Here is this years promotion video about Uganda and the Ministry I will be working with, featuring the children that stay in the home!