Tuesday, February 8, 2011

so this is Africa!

- posted by mika

6:00am - Tuesday
It’s 6am – beginning our third day here in Kampala. The day is already a long one for me, since I have literally not slept a wink since midnight! Jet lag is killing me! I was doing pretty good until yesterday afternoon when I had a chance to take a nap… not a very smart choice. Poor Judah has been awake too since 3 am. But he is being very agreeable about it. He and I did some schoolwork together, and right now, he is playing very quietly with some toys in the bathroom. other than wacky sleep, we are really enjoying ourselves and taking everything in. there is so much to take in!!!!

Some first impressions: Kampala is a mess! I’ve been in other dirty, crowded cities with crazy drivers…but this one tops my list. Subbi Village, on the other hand, (where we went Sunday and will be staying most of our time here) is just beautiful! It sits right on top of a small mountain outside the city. There is a lush, green view and a gentle breeze blowing all the time. We move out there tomorrow and can’t wait! We’ve already met several Ugandan pastors and youth workers. They are so very welcoming and eager to get to know us. Haven’t had much opportunity yet to interact with the Watoto children – another reason we can’t wait to move to the village.
Our kids are doing great! Reynah is getting SO much attention! All Ugandans love children, especially babies. She is doing a good job being very friendly to everyone. The Ugandans comment: “oh, she is so accepting!”

Today we go shopping for the first time to buy food and other supplies for our apartment at Subbi. I’m honestly nervous about meal planning and preparation. I’m not sure yet what will be available and how well I will do with cooking from scratch – no cans, sauces, and packages.
I could write on and on… we’ve already learned so much we didn’t know about Watoto. Our brains are in over-drive trying to process stuff!

10:00pm - Tuesday
Today's shopping adventure was very productive! we have a wireless modem we can use to get internet, and i was pleasantly surprised that there is one real grocery store in Kampala. (all i had seen so far was roadside stands.) i'm still not sure that i'm prepared to feed our family for a week, but i'm feeling more optimistic about figuring this out. they do have a few American-brand products here, but they are outrageously expensive!! - like $7 for a box of Kellogs Cornflakes and $6 for a small jar of Ragu spagetti sauce. yeah, that's not happening.

This was a very enlightening day for the boys. they were confronted with some harsh realities for the first time. while driving through town this am, we were stuck in a traffic jam where our vehicle didn't move for several minutes. a few beggar children surrounded our van the whole,entire time. Pastor Doug explained that the children are from a tribe in the northeast. their parents send them in bunches to the city, along with one adult. whatever money they get for begging, they have to give to this adult. i kept watching the boy's faces as they watched the children tap the glass and wave and beg in a different language. we gave them a banana, which was all the food we had with us. Josiah asked me if i had any more gum we could give them.

Later this afternoon, we visited Watoto Bullrushes, their home in Kampala for orphaned infants. babies ages 0 - 2yrs. stay here before being moved to a village home. what a beautiful place! it is a clean, bright, organized home for about 50 babies. we first saw the preemie babies, about 5 of them. it was nap time, so we walked through the rooms and looked at all the others lying in their cribs. some looked perfectly healthy, but most had some sort of obvious medical need. we spent most of our time playing with three 4yr. old boys who live at the Bullrushes because of their special needs. Joseph - i'm not sure his whole story, but he is developmentally behind. Kenneth is severely malnourished. i couldn't believe it when they told me he is 4 - i was guessing 18 mo. his arms and legs are pencil thin, and he weighs no more than Reynah. but his eyes! - they are so beautiful and perfect. Judah sat in the floor and pushed a car back and forth with him for half an hour. then, there was Kevin who loved T to hold him and cuddle him. he is deaf, mute, and can hardly see. he esp. tugged at our hearts. we prayed for him while we were there and again tonight when we put the boys to bed. Judah is naturally my compassionate child, so i would have expected him to respond sensitively. but Josiah surprised me with how eagerly he played with them also and wanted so much to see them happy. part of me doesn't want my children to see (yet) that the world isn't innocent and just, but all of me thanks God for these opportunities before them. i am praying that they grow a desire to serve and a strong certainty that God's love is stronger.

This weekend will present many more venues for this. we leave early Thurs am to drive north 5 hours to Gulu. anyone familiar with Invisible Children will recognize Gulu as the location where for many years children (30,000 of them!) were abducted by a rebel army and forced to serve as child soldiers. the army has now moved into Congo and southern Sudan. so, don't worry! - it's ok to travel there. :) but there are still many broken and displaced people there! Watoto has opened a village there in Gulu as well as another church campus. the kids and i are going to help out with a clothes distribution, then return on Fri. T will stay through Sun. to help launch "Father's Heart," a mentoring program with the men in the church and the children in the village.

if you've stuck with me through this incredibly long post... thanks. i keep thinking of so many of you family and friends i wish i could sit and talk together about all we are seeing. i wish i could introduce you to all the beautiful Ugandans i've met so far. hopefully will post some pictures soon!

18 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sharing with us! This is the next best thing to sitting and talking with you! My heart is breaking for the kids and what they are seeing but I know that God is using all of this for His glory! I'm glad you found some food you are comfortable with! Praying, praying, praying for all of you! I will be specifically praying for sleep and body adjustments! Love you!!!!

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  2. What an amazing story you tell, already, just a few days into your journey! I thank God for the heart and opportunities He has blessed you with. It's inspiring what you are doing and know we are praying for you, your family and the lives your are touching and the ones touching yours! Can't wait for your next update...and photos!
    Hugs from the cold place! The Youngs.

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  3. Im sitting here in tears at the thoughts of Judah wanting to give the kids gum and I'm wishing I'd sent a case with you! Tell Judah that I WILL send a case for them to give away as soon as I have your address. I'm so proud of all of you; you and Thomas for having such a heart and the boys for the compassion they already have and will develop. I love you all.

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  4. Sounds awesome, Mika!! Thanks for the blog! I know exactly what you mean about encountering so many new things that you just can't really process all of it. And you'll figure out the cooking thing. Just give yourself time. Love you guys!! ~Jill

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  5. Thank you so much for sharing all of that! I was wondering what the days were like and how the kids were doing. Sorry about the $6 Ragu :( Do they have any good cookbooks over there? LOL I hope the move goes well and that everyone stays safe. I know your hearts must all be moved by what you are seeing, and I am so proud of you for being there and doing something to help!!! Sending love and prayers,
    Salem

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  6. wow...I love reading and re-reading :) you're all in God's care and He is orchestrating the 'who' and 'what' you encounter. i'm excited to see his plan to continue to unfold. we're praying for Joseph, Kenneth, and Kevin, as well as all the other little ones. Love you all so much....mom

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  7. What a wonderful, exciting time for you all. We are praying and waiting to share your experiences vicariously. Thank you for your obedience to God!!

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  8. Thank you for taking the time to do the write up and to post it, I really appreciate it! It helps us have just a glimpse into the world you are now living. I had tears streaming down my face at the description of those little babies, my heart goes out to those little ones. I also had a smile on my face knowing that you have followed the Lord's direction and are exactly where he asked you to be right now :)

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  9. Oh.... if you get some Ugandan recipes please share that would be a great thing for a unit study for Nathanael. Love y'all!!!

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  10. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into what you're seeing, thinking and feeling so far, Mika. I understand your concerns for your children, and I'm going to trust with you that they will see God as stronger! May God minister to your hearts and help you to process and see it all through His eyes, giving you His perspective on everything. I love you! ~joanna

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  11. Mika, I love your blog! I am so thankful that modern technology allows the world to be a smaller place. I love you guys so much!
    yo cuz...candi

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  12. This makes me want to go. OH! THIS
    MAKES ME WANT TO GOOOOOO!!!!!

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  13. It's so good to get an update on how things are going! Thanks for taking the time to share everything with us. I hope you are able to get caught up on your sleep soon! And, that's crazy how much American food cost over there. Are you able to get a lot of fresh veggies? That's so sad about the children in town, but so sweet that Josiah wanted to give them gum. We are keeping you guys in our prayers!

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  14. LOVED the post! Thank you for that and keep them coming. We will let the kids read them and pray for you all as a family each night. Love you all.

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  15. You can download some old "scratch" type cookbooks for free from Amazon. They are Kindle books, but you can download it for PC or Mac. They are great staple type recipes, but they are old. We are enjoying your posts too. The kids want to learn about Uganda, so I'm looking up as much as I can! Love you all!

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  16. Hey guys! I had no idea that you had already been blogging! I just sat here and read every one of them in one sitting. I wish I could know EVERYTHING about your trip, but I know that would take forever. (Just so you know, we are on our 3rd snow day in a row! We only went to school on Monday, and we got out early. I know you were tired of the cold.) This blog brought back memories of how precious Judah was as he played with Caleb. Those are very special memories. We love you guys! Kent, Celeste, and Logan

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  17. I am so thankful that I am able to read about your adventures and that you are taking the time out of a crazy schedule to keep us all informed. Know that I am excited for all of you and will be with you in prayer during your time there. I love hearing about how sweet the boys are with the kids there, they are going to be the most popular boys in Uganda! I'm so proud of what ya'll are doing. Love you so much.

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  18. its an honor to have u as my friend, to sit and read of the hurt others feel everyday and to know that u are there to show God's love and minister to them. u hear these stories on tv and visiting missonaries but they never felt so real until i had such a dear friend actually go out into the unknown and do what God called them to do. i am proud of u and your family and i am praying for you...lots of love!

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