Week 5

Week 5 5/2/13 - /2/13

Tuesday 5/2/13

Today for the first half of the day we had our usual classes and the morning was also the same as every other and I think we had French toast. Our firsts session was about the fruits of the holy spirit and we had a nice big debate about whether a Christian can become possessed by a demon, however came to the conclusion that there is a difference in being possessed and tormented.  We then in the second session had a discussion which turned into a debate about whether money can buy you happiness. We came to the conclusion that it can however money cannot sustain joy which is long term happiness unto Christ.

After lunch we went to check on our families in the slums. Our family is doing well (compared to the families in other groups) , however the main concern is encouraging some of their children to go to school. The father is an incredible man working like a dog to provide for his family and to keep them as healthy as possible because they are HIV positive. So I praise God for men like that who take on the responsibility of their family when the going gets tuff and don’t just nick off. Even though he has nothing to his name, I think there is a lot I can learn off this man and he has more character than half the people in the world including myself. The family has just enough money to make ends meet including school (for one term it cost $10 and yet families struggle. Then on the other side of the world $10 isn’t considered that large amount of money. It is really sad that such bright and eager children don’t get the opportunities we do in the west) however about three of the children would rather play with other street kids, however on the bright side two are going to school. The mothers asked us to encourage them to go to school which shows that we are achieving our goal to become closer to the family, so they do trust us. Also one of the mothers came to church looking for us however we were at our districts so she will come to the service we go to, which my soul rejoices in because I think salvation and spiritual guidance is the number one thing we can do. To help encourage the children we are planning to buy some school equipment for the children already going to school by their own choice and are hoping that this will encourage the other children to go to school. I know it is a childish and somewhat un-recommended thing to do, however I think it will work in a morally good way in that going to school opens up doors for your life sort of way; in the end it just feels right. At the debrief however some other families are doing so much worse than our family so I think that fact is encouraging me to pray for our families well being more and also for the other families. Today one of the groups is looking after a woman and found out she is gravely ill and her child isn’t in the best of circumstances. I honestly don’t know much more than that, however there are a lot of heart breaking things happening and it is really sad that even though you have the means to ix everything we are only limited  ad restrained to the extent that we can help. Anyway I hope things just get better and we get some good news, some miracles and some happy endings.

Wednesday 6/2/13

I have been introduced to the b peanut butter and jelly (jam) sandwich being surrounded by Americans and Canadians in which this is their native food. So I have been having one for breakfast everyday with my cup of Ugandan tea. We spent the first half of the day as usual in class, today learning about being a willing servant and what it means as a Christian with Christ as the ideal servant. We had lunch and today I thought we were having chicken (which I LOVE so much because it is fried and reminds me of fatty western food), but instead we had fish and it was much to powerful in flavour and after a few pieces I felt sick so I pulled the plug on that one; even though I took someone else’s who didn’t want it. Then after lunch we were helping with a giant church cleanout (Watoto church is huge) clearing rubbish and doing a good scrubbing. My team was assigned to clean our classroom which meant we had to wipe down the material on the chairs and the metal parts; there were probably about 150 chairs or more. We had a lot of fun doing that and played funny games mucking around and throwing the rags at each other. Winfred and I had a competition to see who could clean some chairs the quickest and I won by the skin of my teeth. We worked as a team, myself wiping down the material part of the chair which involved a bit of scrubbing to make them clean and Winnie wiping over the metal frame. Gloria had been attempting to hit me with her rag and so I threw it back and got her right in the face, it was one of those gold moments. We all muck around and it was just really fun and I think I have connected even more with my team. We also played a game of making a family tree in which we were all related, like we used to play in Longreach making these big elaborate family structures. One of the teams went to check on their family as the mother was in hospital really sick and was basically being neglected in the hospital. I am unsure of things went and don’t even have a hunch but I know things are defiantly not good. We were talking about how we could all help in class and I think that maybe my Aussie mindset was falling back on the harsh reality of life and death and that if something’s dying you wouldn’t usually spend too much trouble on that animal.  I know it sounds horrible and I was defiantly fighting my natural mindset and then this one guy said something that just changed the whole way I think about this situation because chances are she will probably die. But what this very wise guy said was that “It is better that she die knowing that she was loved and cared for and that we tried regardless, then her die lonely and us doing nothing”. I love it so much, may even come home with it tattooed across my chest, but it is just so beautiful and I think if I can adopt that mindset in everything I do, ‘better to try and fail then to never have tried at all’ I will be set for success in my relationships and endeavours throughout life.

We had cell tonight and talked about what communion means. I have just downloaded the album vows extended edition by Kimbra my favourite artist as I lost the music I had downloaded from my CD at home whilst doing some cleanup on my computer. I am so happy I have the music ounce again and it will help me stay calm and happy throughout my time here. Tonight we had beans and rice for dinner and banana fritters which was new, exciting and welcomed by my greedy tongue.  On the way home we also bought ice cream, I brought a large for 6000 shillings which is basically $2.50 and got a second one free, so I gave it to Natalie. I also realised on my way home that I am the type of person that ounce I get settled into my routine and find some satiability I start to enjoy the situation more. I have discovered that I am enjoying my stay here more as time goes on and taking more in and being more willing to change within myself and letting my guard down. Basically I am beginning to have a good time all the time and getting really close with my friends here as well. At first I was a bit stand off from everyone but now I don’t even consider the Ugandans any different from me I even fell black or their appearance isn’t so obvious and shocking (I simply mean that I was used to seeing a majority of white people). I know some of the things I am writing about may seem bad for someone to say of feel, but this is what I am experiencing so that is what I m writing. That’s what’s happening with me at the moment. Also tonight I arm wrestled Emily four times, won two lost two and Callie in which I lost both times; moral of the story I am weak. Anyway I will finish here, you don’t think much happens in a day but a lot really does and I feel like every little thing is significant because every experience is different n some way. I also have been missing my cousin Toby; I had a dream about us when we were kids and am looking forward to seeing him when I get back. So he is my shout out today. Peace out from Africa.

Thursday 7/2/13

Today again started off with my peanut butter and jam sandwich, and my cup of Ugandan tea. Today wasn’t in the office, but instead on the farm (imagine saying that in the most hillbilly accent you can). We left at about 7:30am however we had to pick up the media crew and a few other people who were late, thus we arrived at 10:00am. On the way there me and Natalie played a game were one person makes a scribble and than the other has to make it into a picture. Ounce we had arrived we were quickly set to work separating husk from rice. We were than invited to go and see the rest of the farm and this is where tension sets. Because the other people had been working for a while before us they felt that they should get to go, so us who had come later were standing there confused while the Ugandans stood there like they were going. The woman kept making her point that she would take us so that we could see the rest of the farm and that she needed the rest to work on the rice (the woman in charge was from America). So in the end the group I came with went and worked on the rice while they just stood there and the woman got somewhat peeved and said she wouldn’t be taking anyone, which was a fair enough call. It was really uncomfortable because now that the rest of the Ugandans had come they were having a conversation/fought in Lugandan so us internationals didn’t understand. However we did hear the word Muzungu and being a Muzungu you naturally assume their talking about you. I mean we already were told in the Culture shock session that speaking in another language in the presences of people who can’t is rude; and we understand that they will talk in Lugandan by accident sometimes and that’s fair enough, but this wasn’t. Also I felt like they were judging us as white weaklings or something and they were asking us if we had ever been on a farm or seen cabbages being picked and it wasn’t just that but the way they asked and the little things they half mocked you on. I know this all sounds negative but that’s what I am feeling at the moment and at the same time it isn’t a lot of the people in our class acting like this it’s just a few that make you feel out of place. The people that I have come to know so far are really awesome and I am sure we will be friends for life. We have had a few comments that our lives are easy and that is really offensive. I mean it must just be a stereotype that we get everything handed to us on a silver platter, but we all had to work really hard, for instance to pay to come here and I can tell you it wasn’t cheap for someone school at the same time. So I am hoping that by the time we are finished they will see that both our worlds have different pros and cons, but we all face different challenges. The negative part of the day ends there.

We then had to pose in a Watoto church add, helped load and unload some cabbages and pumpkin’s, but mainly we worked on the rice. Then towards the end of the day a storm was rolling n so we had some wind to blow out the chaff to make our work easier and more effective. Then we had to transfer the rice into the sheds as it was going to rain and the rice would be ruined if it got drenched. The food grown on this farm is used to supply food to the Watoto villages. We had a lot of fun in the end and all worked together really well together to clear the rice. When we were ‘working on it’ we had to keep turning it so that the rice could evenly dry out and then had to pick out the stalks that were mixed up in them. We used the wind or you could rub your flat hand on the surface of the rice in a circle a few rotations and you would collect a good clump of stalks whilst leaving the rice behind. The rice was also in its husks so I am not sure how they would remove the white rice piece from the outer shell, and it basically looks like wheat.

We managed to get the rice into the shed just in time and then we internationals compared ourselves to the Ugandans to see if we were nearly the same colour because we were covered in mud and dirt (please don’t take that in a racist way) and took some pictures. Then we had lunch of rice, beans and japady in which we ate with our hands. I was sitting there and I thought, who would have guessed that this time last year I would be sitting down eating rice and beans with my fingers in Africa watching a storm roll in. It’s a cool thought. Then we came home dropping some people off at Watoto church and had showers. The power has been turning off for the last two nights so we were limited on hot water but I think we have survived. We had fish and chips for dinner which was fantastic because it’s so delicious and the fish doesn’t taste like fish. Our table conversation was about how I would take over the world and rename America New Chester and at that point I was threatened by Hannah so the idea maybe ended there. I also think I am ironically getting fatter in a starving nation, so I will have to cut down my food to make sure I don’t come back a rolly polly pig. The food portions are just huge and the food is really nice which doesn’t help in cutting the food down. Anyway I will implement my get slim over a period of your life diet tomorrow. Today I was thinking about Ashley being on the farm and all and wanted to thank him for everything he has done for me and for making me do things when I didn’t want to because now I know some stuff. Peace out form Africa.

Friday 8/2/13

Today we had classes in the morning, a dance introduction in the afternoon and left early so we went to Garden city (the whitest place in Uganda-it’s a shopping centre). We are going to be learning to dance every Friday afternoon and this isn’t like African dancing, this is legit holly wood style dancing in like JZ’s video clip stuff; crazy awesome. However today the biggest thing was the morning classes; they literally blew my mind apart and my whole concept of thinking. What we were learning about was sin. For me I have always never really grasped the whole concept of God’s love or the actual effects of my sin. However Tom’s speal changed everything, even though I unfortunately can’t remember everything, I have a new appreciation for what Christ did on the cross and the greatness of God’s love. What he basically said is that every time we sin we are basically spitting in God’s face, but yet he still loves us and keeps working in our lives. That even though we absolutely tare is heart apart and show him so much disrespect he still died for us and still wanted to be with us. I still can’t comprehend how he is just so awesome and incredible and I can’t even fathom the love it would take to love me. That even though every time I spit in his face, kick him in the shins and do my own things he is still waiting there with wide open forgiving arms and the same amount of love. That he wants to know me and talks to me and pays attention to me. That he has chosen me and in the end I could rave forever but in the end it is just all unfathomable and now I understand why people get so excited for worship. They are just so ecstatic that even though for the last week they have been monsters God still loves them and they are rejoicing in that fact. Tom also talked about how we sell Jesus as someone to feel sorry for you or another friend and if you believe in him you will go to heaven. But Jesus is just this incredible concept that when you understand what God has to offer for sinful, evil people I just don’t understand how people don’t jump at the offer. I have also stopped caring for what other religions think or trying to defend my God against other religions and why my God is real and they are not, because I just know God is real like the freckles on my face. He is just so alive and I am not raving on because I am on some high in Africa. I haven’t felt really any emotion since I have been here. I wish I would just be absolutely sad or high as a space shuttle but I am in the place of emotional Limbo. What I am saying is from what I now understand about Christs love for me. I don’t think I can even try to understand it but I will defiantly try and follow, love, cherish and obey God as much as I can possible. Tom also talked about how as you get closer to God you mind transforms and he used Moses as an example and it also blew my mind on how far I have to go. In church I now hold up my hands because I want to jut surrender my core to him. Even though I am not is some happy highland I think by just doing that anyway I am surrendering more by choice rather than emotion. But I just want to be on fire and want to just be close to God and just know him and he know me. I want to be in alignment with the will of God and be as close to him as Moses, or Elijah and I guess ultimately Jesus but he was God so I don’t totally understand that but that would be awesome all the same. Anyway that is what I learnt today I am really happy that I am beginning to understand on whole new level things that I have always known but never really understood. On our way home today a man selling glasses came up to our window (There are always people window selling stuff and I have always wanted to buy something from them, just to say I did). So I haggled with him from 25 000 shillings ($12) for a pair of black ray bans that are identical to my real ones and got them for 10 000 shillings ($4). They are fakes but I wanted them because one they soot my face and two I can were them in rougher situations like on the farm or slums and if they get broken I haven’t lost anything valuable. So I did something new today, I bought glasses from a window seller, want to buy a world map next. Today I was thinking about David and Marree Scutt and their two wonderful kinds, not sure why particularly but I was thinking of Biology and the fish we had and how awesome a teacher Mr Scutt was and how nice Marree was at the airport in Longreach before I came here. Peace out from Africa!

Saturday 9/2/13

Today we went to the villages for a sports day. I t was just as boring as the last one, but I did get a lot of pictures which was really fun. I will have to upload as many as I can on face book. I do have some sad news today as a lady from the slum family that south A was reaching out to, died today. She left behind from what I hear a beautiful little girl and had been really sick for quite some time. I am feeling for the team and especially my twin sister Natalie. She is an incredible woman with so much heart, compassion, generosity and love I really feel that the lady would have seen Jesus through her. I am really proud to call her a friend and think she is so incredible. full stop. So it would be nice for you to keep the team and the little girl in your prayers that Gods hand will be in the mixing pot helping the team to cope with the grief and for the little girls future (at the moment she is with her Grandmother, who is unfortunately a bit nasty). We had church today as well which was really good and we learnt about integrity in the small things. The kids that we played with at the village were really fun and there was this one little boy who was just crazy. More than energy then a fox shot with a slingshot and the cheekiest grin. Love this little boy so much. Unfortunately I can’t post any pictures due to privacy regulations, but I am sure you can imagine it. Well that’s about the extent of today’s activates and if you find it interesting I had a cold shower. Peace out from Africa.

Sunday 10/2/13

Today we were serving at our church districts again. Today I was on security and so I had to pad men down looking for bombs. It was the most awkward job in the world and I really didn’t like it so I just pretended I was in some security job like in men in black and I had to make sure no bombs got inside. Anyway after first service I quickly ran away and ditched that job and so I went to the service tables were they have the cell, sponsor and living hope tables and sold valentines diner tickets. That was really boring and I talked a bit to Sherlly. Then Callie came and was apparently hiding from her stalker/admirer. On our break we had been talking with Gloria about it and she had said to Callie “next time he comes just don’t pay him any attention for a minute, look at him up and down and say ‘Get away’ and look back away from him” she didn’t say those words exactly but that was about it and I had never laughed so hard. Anyway then a man comes to the table where we are talking and I think oh another customer to buy a ticket but he had come for Callie. He is this half awkward guy, very skinny and has eyes like a bush baby. I think he means well (Gloria would beg o differ) but he is 32 and Callie is 19 so I’m not sure how things will work out. Anyway I made an excuse for us to leave and so we did. It was the most awkward time and I half feel sorry for Callie but then at the same time it is also hilarious. Anyway besides that I really don’t like Sundays they are really boring I would have just about shot myself in they to feel something (just being a bit over exaggerative). We were at the children’s ministry section at the end (hiding) and this little boy cam up to me and just sat on my lap and started looking. It was so beautiful and I picked up and he would point and say ‘take me there’ and then I would go there and then he would point somewhere else and say ‘take me there’ so that was very precious. 

Anyway like all things that part of the day came to an end and we then went to a restaurant called spur where we fulfilled our deep desires for western food. I ordered a steak with chips and A vanilla milkshake, which was fantastic but we did decided that you got more for your money at Java’s.

Then we came home and all the street kids were there as usual, but this time they were at the gate all lined up so I pulled out my camera and instantly they all posed and got into a photo position, so that was funny and cool. Then I went over to them and said that we would come and play with them in a little while, and they went ecstatic over the news. So Natalie and I went and played with them for the afternoon. I took my camera so I have tones of pictures of them sliding down the hill on bits of plastic, we played games, they played with Natalie and my hair, we carried them around, had photo shoots, I videoed them beet boxing and brake dancing and other fun things. There was a young boy and girl whom we carried around for a while and those kids are some damn talented. Like people I know dance and carry one and then I watch these kids who would all be around ten years or younger dancing and stuff and they are better than anyone I know, I videoed them so yeah it was just incredible. So myself and Natalie had an incredible experience and have heaps of memories and will probably play with them tomorrow after they have finished school.  The second half of the day was really fun and simply a blast. Peace out from Africa.

Monday 11/2/13

Today has been a bit of an up and down day. Today I slept in being my day off till 8:30am and started on posting my blogs and photos on face book. I spent about three hours uploading my blogs and sorting out my photos in which I swapped a few with my fellow internationals. Then I tried skyping my mum and there was a bit of trouble so we gave that up after a few attempts and I also had a small chat with Ashley. Whilst I was doing my stuff I also had a fantastic chat with Jess Fitzgerald, me bestie. Then we had lunch of toasted sandwiches and soup. After woods we watched Thor and by this time I was also painting. I had this idea inspired by the phrase ‘children of the wild’ that I would have all these children coming out of the jungle attacking this giant obese demon. So I have been putting in the base colours and shading for now and hopefully it will last me some time. Then I tried to Skype my mum again and my blasted internet decides its gonna be a spastic glutton. Every time I would connect to the internet it would just start eating that data like it was oxygen so within about five seconds with nothing open about ten MB would be used. So with the help of the genius Thomas we disabled everything from updating itself and the internet defiantly died down. But then I Skyped mum and this time it was actually working and within about 10 seconds again about 10 MB were gone so I had to quickly disconnect the internet otherwise I would have none left. I wish things would just work. My blasted card will only let me take out so much money and then my internet stick is being stupid. It all got to me and I may have had a tantrum in my head and thrown a few things. I really wanted to talk to my family and then I couldn’t so I was really upset about that although I never show it. Also today we celebrated Valentine’s Day as we will be stuffed on the actual day. We had a picnic outside for tea in which we cut out everyone’s name from water melon, had juice and made garlic bread. However as usual something went wrong and I got really bad IBS so I had to ditch the party and I have been next to the toilet writing this blog for the last hour. So I missed out on the lolly hunt, hot chocolate and chocolate and peanut butter covered Oreos.  So as you can imagine I am not very happy and my madness has made me feel somewhat disconnected from God and I feel like I am being punished even though I know I’m not.  Anyway hopefully better days ahead and I will have to try and not let my pessimist side become too overpowering. I think this next week should be fun so will see what’s happening. Hope you enjoy this week’s blogs and thanks for everyone’s support. Peace out from Africa.