Little Moments..

It felt like home as soon as I arrived. It wasn't supposed to though. It was supposed to be a "quick two-week trip to visit the children" and it turned into a two-week journey that has forever marked my life. I celebrated with Daudi as I turned the corner getting off of the plane and gave him a big hug followed by the words "Welcome Home!" For the two months that he was here in the States and daily told me how much he missed home, the kids, the bumpy roads, the slower pace...I thought to myself "is it really that great?!" And before I even hugged the kneck of Aggie, was greeted by joyful shrieks when we pulled into the gate, or even got my visa to enter the country; I realized the answer to that question I had been wanting to ask Daudi was quickly answered with a resounding YES!!

You see, Uganda exceeded every expectaton I had built up in my mind.

I have been with Sozo for over 10 months now. I have watched over a hundred people leave America, come to Uganda, and return back to the States. Some people forever changed, some just another trip. I have seen interns devote an entire summer to serving in Uganda. Some forever changed, some just another summer to them. But for some reason in my mind, I thought I knew exactly how it was going to be. Thought is the correct word here, because everything I thought it would be like was blown out of the water by the end of the first full day.

 

Uganda is simplicity at its finest. and I love that. I long to grasp that mindset. It's how things are supposed to be--simple. We make things difficult and the Lord patiently awaits for us to realize it doesn't have to be.

The processing continues. I remember laying in the bed on one of my last nights in Uganda and telling Laura and Michelle the one thing that I was dreading about going home was being asked what I thought about my time in Uganda or what my favorite part was. My heart is on the verge of explosion to tell the world what these days and nights in Uganda meant to me. but I just dont know how to put it into words. I dont know how to articulate just how special this place is to me or how wonderful these people are. I can't do them justice and so then I hesitate even trying to in fear that you won't understand. But then again, you wouldnt understand until you go. Until you see it for yourself. Until you lavish in the beauty of Uganda. Until you take a deep breath of African air. For me, I thought I knew-but I didn't. I had no idea.

 

 

So what was my favorite moment? It would be impossible to narrow it down to just a single one. That would be doing my time there injustice. It was the little moments. The ones I never dreamed could be so good. so perfect.

 

 

Like meeting Brian for the first time. I've been priviliged with the opportunity to sponsor Brian for the last 6 months. I've seen his beautiful smile, recieved report cards from school, and have heard his story. But it wasn't until I gave him that first hug and kissed the top of his sweet head that I realized just how much I loved him. And the love continued to grow as I spent more time with him. As I watched him goof off with his friends. As I played badmitton with him. As he told me how much he wanted a remote control car for Christmas because he has never had one. As I told him each day to listen in school and learn something new that day. It continues to grow even though we are yet again seperated.

 

Little moments like doing homework in the afternoon with Vivian. She lays down that notebook and we begin with English. We keep a "rubber"(eraser) close by because she's still learning. She still is trying to figure out what a complete sentence looks like. She is still learning what modes of transporation are available. Or how to draw a priest baptising a baby. So we try, and then we "rub" and we try again until we get it just right. And then she flips the page. Luganda time. So then the tables tearn and I begin to learn. We both learn. I'm desperate to learn a new word everyday. They work so hard to improve their english. I must work hard to improve my luganda. My patience grows. It wasn't my "hurry up-get it right-I have no time" self those afternoons. It was where I thrived. Where I loved teaching. What does this mean God? What desires and gifts are you birthing in me? Allow me to be obedient every step of the way.

Little moments like going in to the girls room at night and seeing Sharon's feet dangle off the bed sideways and her whispering something. So as I go closer I see her bible flipped open. She's reading as much as she can before the lights go off. The bible has different colors highlighted throughout all of the pages. The pages are ragged. The front is torn. This is what a bible that is used everyday, multiple times a day looks like. They get it. She gets it. She is fully depending on her Father to get her through that day. And then I walk down to my room and their sits my bible on my bed. It looks like I just bought it yesterday. Where is that utter dependence for the Word in my life? She's mirroring Christ right before my eyes. Teach me Father.

Little moments capture your heart. Sometimes they happen and we soon forget, but sometimes they're not as easily forgotten.

 

 

The moment I saw Henry for the first time is one of those moments. Henry is Phiona's little brother, so for those of you who keep up with me and know my love for this little girl, you can only imagine how absolutely perfect the moment was when I bent down to swoop that little munchkin up as we walked through the gates of Rays of Hope. I knew exactly who he was in the midst of 300 kids running around the moment  I laid my eyes on him. Phiona and I had looked at pictures of him more times than I can count. And now, there he was. Right in front of me.

He had a navy blue fleece jacket on with colorful cars all over it. He was holding his cup and was ready to eat porridge. But first, like a proud mom or something, I whipped out a picture of me and Phiona that was in my bag. He lit up. A smile reckoned his face like a little kid on Christmas morning. It was special. It won't be easily forgotten. He clung tight to that picture. He held it close, then he held it where he could see it and would laugh and then draw it back close again. He looked at it each day that he saw me. He had no idea what kind of connection I had with Phiona, he just knew for a moment that he was able to see his big sister that he misses so much. The one who walked to school with him everyday. The one who defended for him. The one who took care of him more times than we care to know. I now have a very well worn picture that has become a constant reminder of what love looks like when I lay my eyes on it.

I can sit here, look back on my time in Uganda and think of hundreds of little moments that make my heart beat. Belly-laughing ones, gut-wrenching ones, sad ones and ones that can immediately bring a smile from ear to ear. You will continue to hear more of these over the following weeks in hopes to let you in on this journey that has taken a new turn.

When the Lord led me down this journey with Sozo, He made it very clear for me not to cap it with a time frame. This made me very uncomfortable because it would be very easy to have said I am doing this until December and commit 7 months of my life to it and then be done. But then I would be walking away from what I love-from what He has bestowed His blessings upon. But that wasn't His plan and that wasn't His calling. He simply asked that I daily be obedient to this next step in the journey. Only He is all-knowing and knows exactly what my future looks like. It was starting to become a life-style to me. Get up, go to the Sozo office, go home, go to bed and repeat it again the next day. It's all I knew. I knew names of 68 children, 10 names of our Ugandan staff and could tell you the name of where our children go to school. But now, I know the faces of 68 children. I know personalities and laughter and can tell you a story about each and how in some way, shape or form they have impacted my life.

 

 

 

 

I have been to the school to both drop-off and pick-up. I have entered the gates where they are blessed to daily better their education. And I have spent time with the most amazing staff known to man. I have watched them interact with our children, I have watched them daily do what the Lord has uniquely gifted them to do and I have seen love and joy radiate off them in such a way that the only way to describe it is they are walking in direct obedience to the Father.

 

 

 So today, I try to pick back up to the way things "normally" are for me. I will go back to the office for the first time since I have gotten back and I am earnestly praying that the Lord carry me through today because my heart is in Uganda. I fell in love with everything that makes up that wonderful place. But I trust in the Lord's timing. Today He has me here, tomorrow has yet to unfold. I know that I will return again. Not just once, but many more times.

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