On 3/5/11 I was invited to a Ugandan wedding introduction where the bride's side of the family meets the groom's family. It was very interesting. The ladies wore traditional African dress and the men also wore what they call a dress as well. Moses knew the individuals getting married so he invited me to go. Moses has been a huge help to me and is usually the one who drives me around the city and to the villages for work. The celebration lasted the entire day and several groups of individuals performed various tribal dances.
I have finished walking through all the schools: vocational, secondary, primary, and what they call prep, which is kindergarten schools. I have now began to write up my findings in a written report. Last week I traveled to Bbira village to get oriented and will soon begin to walk through all the village homes, schools, and teacher apartments there as well. As Moses and I were traveling through the villages we had a train of children walking with us, holding our hands, ect...they are so precious. So we got to spend the rest of the afternoon just loving on the children in the village and interacting with them. A little girl named Rachael walked right out of her home, right up next to me and just grabbed my hand and stood right next to me. It was so precious. I talked with her awhile and spun her around until we were both dizzy and we'd just laugh. Then another little boy named Benjamin held my hand through the entire village as we walked around as well. They just warm your heart so much!
When I was in Uganda two years ago, I met a Watoto teacher named Elizabeth. We instantly formed a friendship and shared prayer requests and have kept in touch this entire time, for two years. She has a little girl named Shannon. For two years, we wrote handwritten letters back and forth. We sent pictures and Christmas cards, ect. We also kept in touch via e-mail. Before I came to Uganda this time I had e-mailed her and told her when I would be in Uganda so we could meet. I had been trying to track her down the first month I was in Uganda. I had thought she was in Bbira village, but it turns out she actually teaches at Suubi village where I had been working the first month or so of my stay here. It was such a God thing how we met actually. Tom and I were in Suubi one day walking through the teacher apartments and this cute little girl kept talking to me through her apartment window. I asked her what her name was but I couldn't understand her through the window. So Tom and I ended up entering her home to look for items that needed repair and I asked her again what her name was. She said it was Shannon. So I asked her if her mothers name was Elizabeth and she said, "yes." I asked her if she remembered writing me? She said, "yes." So I told her to be sure and tell her mom that Charity from the US is here looking for her. So the next day Tom and I were walking through the schools and I asked one of the teachers which building Elizabeth taught at. So soon after, she came walking in with a few ladies and we hugged and it was so exciting to see her again. Later that evening I ran into her again and she welcomed me into her home and fed me fruit and passion fruit juice. She gave me a wooden wall decoration that said "With Love From Uganda." She had handwritten a message on the back and she had remembered my birthday last year and just hadn't sent it yet. It was such a blessing. She told me she could teach me how to cook Ugandan food. God is so good!
Last night Barbara, Brent, Moses, and two other guys on a build team traveled to Gulu where the majority of the war took place. We will be here until Tuesday of next week. I'm trying to get it worked out where I can observe the Trauma Rehabilitation team. They do hands on counseling, discipling with the individuals who have been in the war and have seen unimaginable atrocities. I see my current position as a gateway into something that more fits my passion, which is interacting and really working and ministering into the lives of these beautiful and precious people. I love them so much. So please pray the Lord continues to lead me where He wants me to be even within Watoto Ministries because it's such a huge ministry with so many facets.
I was also able to get in touch with Roy, who is in charge of the worship/music ministry of Watoto Church. He has invited me to attend weekly practices with the band so I can observe what goes on and see where I desire to get plugged in at.
Although the Lord has blessed me so much, I've faced a few challenges as well. Please pray for supernatural wisdom and continued strength and courage to stand on the truths in His Word. The days can be long and hot and there's so much to observe and take in. I know He has called me here, but I can often feel so small at the end of the day and feel like I know so little.
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