off to rwanda!

It's been such a busy, but wonderful week of normalcy. Of course, normalcy is relative, but we're finally doing what we came here to do. Videos will be coming soon. Very soon. We are editing FIENDS.

And guess where we are going tomorrow.

RWANDA!! To visit Jamie and Philip. Everyone keeps telling us that Rwanda is "very clean," and "oh it is so organ-ized," and "oh, it is so cold," and "oh it is very difficult to get around because everyone speaks French not English." So, that sounds exciting! I love French and Jamie and Philip and organization and cool weather. And roadtrips across Africa. 

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To recap the past few days, here are some nuggets from life around Jinja-town.

Last Sunday, we went to church deep (deeeeeeeeeep) in the village, and when we got out of the car a Ugandan man said to his friend, I want a wife that is blonde like that, to which the pastor responded, Then you should become saved, and you will have. Oh, is that how it works?

Today's topic of conversation at lunch: Kyle XY. Remember Kyle XY? The Ugandan staff loves it, as do we. At the core of our humanity, we are really all the same.

The power went off last night while we were sleeping, which means our fan went off while we were sleeping. The only word that comes to mind about my sleeping experience last night--inferno.

Also today, Meagan's finger got slammed in our van door, and we thought it might have been broken for a second. These details are thrilling, I know.

We have declared a movie marathon of the Nicholas Sparks canon in our house. It was inspired by a viewing of The Last Song. I'm telling you, life in Africa.... we treasure the little things.

We started making crepes at our house, and I'm a changed woman. Again, the little things.

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Can't wait to update you on our intercontinental travels... see you in five days!

for a good reason joy is in our hearts

Have you ever seen so many black people in a pool?

I didn't think so.

We just finished Camp All-Stars where over 100 of the Children of Grace sponsored kids (ages 13-15) spent the week! 

It was so joyous!

I mean, look at those faces.

and look at this view of Lake Victoria. Glory, glory!! 

It was so fun to see kids loving all the same things we love about camp. Tie-Dye.

Swimming. 

When we got to the pool this girl, Juliet, was so terrified of the water she wouldn't even come in the gate, and kept saying, "but I fear I will sink" (even in the shallow end... 3 feet deep) in her sweet, Ugandan voice. After some coaxing and almost getting pulled into the water fully clothed and camera'd, this is what happened. Pure joy.

Singing.

Football. aka soccer.

Wearing wayfarers... just kidding. Kids at camp don't wear wayfarers, I just wanted to post this picture because it's awesome.

FOOD! So much rice. So many beans. Such sketchy meat. But such good pineapple. 

Not pictured: a giant bonfire with lots of African dancing and raw meat cooked on the open flame (more on that later from Meg. It was crazy. I was named the Queen Dancer sooooooo...), a very janky zip line that broke with a kid on it and a lot of African body odor. Surprisingly, you get used to it though.

Camp really is camp anywhere, and kids really are kids anywhere. Orphans, starving, oppressed, HIV positive—or not.

And Jesus is real Treasure everywhere. Even here. Even to orphans, even to the dying. Even to me. And that is comforting—a million miles from home.

week one

after a week under our belts here, i am battling feelings of inadequacy. what can one person--or even organization--do to undo the tangles of sin that have bound up families, governments, countries? on the grand scale, it can all seem so hopeless. 

but tonight i was reminded that the grand scale is already taken care of. really, it's the small things that matter. mother teresa spoke to this...of course. 

we cannot do great things on this earth, we can only do small things with great love.

Gift

This morning we got to accompany Sylvia (our new ugandan friend/co-worker!) to do a "child assessment" on a future sponsored child. This is the story we found. 

Three years ago, a woman named Vinnie found a baby girl in the bushes while she was digging in her garden. After brushing off all the ants and cutting her umbilical cord off with the reeds of a papaya (tia!), Vinnie took the baby to the hospital and then to the police to ask if she could keep her. She knew that the baby was a "gift from God" after the recent loss of her husband. Today, Vinnie and her four children take care of their sweet new daughter and sister. Meet Gift. 

t.i.a.

Blogging doesn't get any easier when you're in Africa. Not counting the day and a half I spent feeling terribly jet-lagged, I've been in Jinja for two days now. It's simply indescribable, and it's hard to blog when you aren't totally sure what you think or feel about it all yet.

Here's 10 things I do know:

1. The Nile looks just like you would imagine—lush and wild and winding.
2. The air everywhere smells like burning plastic because people burn their trash on the side of the road.
3. Villages outside the city are beautiful and terrible and overwhelming and joyful all at the same time.
4. The avocados here are the size of melons.
5. Church in a shaded backyard really gives church in a building a run for its money.
6. Lots of Indian people live here and run businesses. You know what that means. Hello Indian food.
7. I wake up when the rooster crows. Literally. How can you sleep through a rooster crowing?
8. African traffic laws are not like American traffic laws.
9. "Mzungo hi. Mzungo bye." are such sweet words.
10. This afternoon as Meagan and I drove through the Mesese village, I said, "I never want to leave," and she said, "me either."

find the lions!

happy 1.1.11 to all!