Week 9 5/3/13 - 11/3/13
I am going to do my weekly blog a bit differently and just
include the interesting parts, you probably don’t want to really know about
what I am eating and how the bus ride was.
Tuesday -5/3/13
On Tuesday our ministry was at the baby’s home. For the
first chunk of our visit time Jonal and I cleaned the pool so that later that
afternoon the babies could have a swim as it was hot that day. That was pretty
simple, just scrubbing and rinsing it and I even used so plumbing skills
unblocking the drainage pipe by shoving the hose right down it. Anyway about fifteen
minutes before we had to leave they were going to feed the baby’s so we got to
feed them. I carried out a baby called George who is so cute! They were feeding
them outside and had the baby’s propped up against pillows as they sucked their
bottles. It was so cool and I was watching about four babies making sure they
had their bottles, repositioning them when they rolled over and just watching their
eyes looking around and basking in their adorableness. So that was a highlight
for the first day of the week and I have completed one of the things I wanted
to do and more... I wanted to hold an African baby. Check.
Wednesday -6/3/13
Today I bought Minnie a Giraffe as today is my animal
purchase day and a Buffalo for Ashley. The tip of the Buffalo’s horn was
snapped off I discovered after unwrapping it, however I used my scissors to
carve it like the other one and if it was covered in the varnish you wouldn’t
be able to tell the difference.
Then today I lead cell and the topic was ‘Who is Jesus to
you’. It was one of those subjects were you’re like what is this but as I thought
about it more I realised what a good question it was. So I learnt a lot of
things about who Jesus was to people and discovered who he was to me in may
aspects. I have lways struggled with understanding Jesus on a personal level
because I feel the bible doesn’t portray him in a way that shows his true
character. I feel like the bible at least for me shows him as yes a great guy
but on the character I only see a blunt, introvert who is perfect and doesn’t
really want to get to involved in anything. But after our discussion I actually
thought about it and who Jesus really is. In reality the bible and from my own
experience has lead me to the conclusion that Jesus is this incredible guy who
you just want to be around, has perfect virtues, is tuff, isn’t a hippy,
probably had a cool hip short beard and in the spiritual world is a fearsome, tuff,
powerful warrior. And he is so in love
with me that he is always there never judging and even though we feel like he
is so far away, Jesus is there just saying turn around and turn your eyes to
me; give me everything and I’ll work it out, just follow me and everything will
work out. So that’s what I discovered
about him and I feel like I have really been opened up and y spirit is being
prepared for some serious dental work if you get my drift. I am also starting
to understand how people are so in love and just high on Jesus, and it is
simply because this great guy who is just the best and awesome loves me always,
forgives me everything and wants to know me to the end of the universe and
back; I don’t know about you but that’s a pretty cool God.
Thursday -7/3/13
Today was our full ministry day; we went to Rift Rack and
had a pretty cool adventure. At rift rack we taught a lesson to them about how
practising your relationship with God will only make it better and used the analogy
of practising soccer. We sat in this big hut which was very charming, except
for one thing... the top of the inside was covered in webs and you could see
the spiders (they looked a lot like the bush spiders you see in Longreach).
Regardless I thought it was absolutely disgusting as if you didn’t know I am terrified
of those creatures... the one animal I that I question if it really did come
from God or did it crawl from the pits of hell... who knows. I was sitting down
in a spot where there were none directly above me and then Winnie found out
that I didn’t like them so got a piece of grass and tickled the back of my neck
while I am sitting under the hut and I never felt so sick in a second in my
life, I still crawl when I think about it. So I jumped up to sit next Callie
and she says there aren’t even any out, and we look up and behold there is a
mother right above us... I basically ran back to my spot and blackmailed Winnie
I think to leave me alone; I am pretty good at black mailing.
Anyway moving on from the spiders, we got to teach the boys
a memory verse; however none of them can speak English so I am not sure why we
had to teach them in English, but I did make up actions for them to copy. After
we had done our little piece we had a tour of the homes and the farming side. It
was really cool because it wasn’t like one of those nasty Orphanages you see in
the movies or like the people didn’t like them; the guys in charge adored those
boys and were so encouraging to them as they sung their welcome song. We bought
some sugar cane at 500 shillings a stalk which is basically 20 cents. Then I
spotted a mother hen with three very young chicks. I wanted to hold them but if
the mother attacked it would be embarrassing being a muzungu and being attacked
by a mother hen. Anyway I watched them and to my luck a chick got stuck in this
concrete thing with sides and the mother moved on unaware. So I quickly moved
over and picked up the chick. I had some photos with it as you can see on face
book and then the lady taking the photos said, ok now go hold the mother and we
all had a laugh. Everyone thinks I am crazy because I love chickens so much,
but if only they could understand how much they are a part of my family. I then
had a picture taken were I look really skinny, so my day was complete and happy
with an interesting adventure in the field of ministry. Thankyou God for a fun
day.
Friday -8/3/13
Friday was a day off
were we celebrated National Women’s day and I am pretty sure we did nothing. I walked
to Nakumart and bought some fresh bread which I devoured throughout the day for
lunch. That was basically the most exciting thing besides swapping music with
Hannah. The end.
Saturday -9/3/13
Saturday was sports day at Bera. I was on first aid and I
cannot tell you how fast they all run. We timed a guy and he was probably a second
off the world record. I mean some of them had to be carried to our area to be
massaged because they ran that hard and have glucose shoved into their mouths.
It was insane especially in terms of comparison of our sports carnivals. I mean
O thought those athletic kids were really good with all their training and
stuff, but in Africa every white guy is just playing for second... unless its swimming.
I mean everyone just goes for it, no one is overweight and everyone is phenomenal.
I mean if you weren’t going to run at 100km/h from the word go you wouldn’t
even consider competing at this carnival. In one word the day was ‘athleticinsanity’.
Sunday -10/3/13
Today was serving at the districts, it went pretty fast so
that was good. We came home and the girls discovered a sick bird in our yard,
so naturally I was called. It couldn’t even walk and I tried feeding it wet
bread but it would keep vomiting it up. I was the only one game to help it because
everyone else was apparently scared of it. It was a small white water bird. We
basically agreed if it wasn’t better or dead by Monday I would put it out of its
misery.
After that ordeal and me scrubbing my hands thoroughly we
had my favorite dinner of chicken and chips.Whilst we were eating we heard the
street kids calling out “Where is Jack?” and “Come out Jess” and decided that
we would come out after tea and play with them. We have been building a relationship
with these kids and I think they are beginning to love us to even the point of obsession.
Natalie and I had finished washing up and walked out to the gate in which a roar
of excitement, squeals and pure joy erupted from the outside of the brown metal.
We opened the gate and were mobbed by who knows how many children embracing us
in a tightening ring around us. The girls took Natalie up out of our drive way
and the boys seeing me trying to shut the gate as I leaned out over the ring of
them around my waste helped me pull the gate shut allowing me to easily lock
the bolt. I was then also taken up to the circle being formed by the children.
I had children fighting over who would hold my hand, one coming in casually
going to break the hold of the kid holding my hand only to receive a swift
smack for daring too; not much I can do I try and let them sort it out themselves
and they usually just hold whatever they can. The game consisted of a song in
lugandan in which we would skip around in a circle. It eventually evolved into each
girl calling out her name and doing a dance as they others clapped. Callie by
this time had come out and joined the circle and her name was being called so
she attempted the hip dance the little girls had been doing and pulled it off
pretty well. I however saw the warning signs that my name might be called out
so I quickly detached myself and walked up the hill to were some older boys
were sliding down it on pieces of plastic. All the boys in the game left and
followed me and it was then I realized that it was probably a girls game and
the boys were just playing to be near me. I don’t know if I have already
talked about it but they use any
piece
of plastic like ice cream lids and use them to slide down the hill. But
when I
say the slide down this isn’t butterfly's and fairy's they reach some
good speeds
and if they fell would probably be badly hurt. I think this speaks
volumes of
the raw skills and brilliant imaginations these kids have and that they
can use
an ice cream lid to generate the same feeling of a motorbike going over a
jump
or some parts of a roller coaster; they are just brilliant and I love
them so
much and I think they sense that and respond to it. The evening was
quickly
fading into darkness and we were now approached by Winnie a leader oft
the
group and demanded/asked to tell them a story. We agreed and she
announced to the
children in lugandan the next event and again the roar of excitement was
in the
air and ringing in our ears as they flocked to the top of our drive way
finding positions as Winnie commanded them were to go. We were puzzled
as to what story
to tell and came up with the solution to tell bible stories. Why not
make
everyday the mission field. We first told the story of David and
Goliath. I had
narrated and the girls acted them out and we picked kids to play various
rolls. There was this one boy who I think is cross eyed and I think had
to go to
the toilet but didn’t want to miss a thing. He was jumping up and down
and just
laughing like ‘I really need to go’. Anyway we chose him to be David and
we
got the stone part and then he was off running up and down the road to
find
three rocks. For a minute I didn’t know how to tell the story as I think
the
three of us were wondering if he would actually throw them at Callie or
just
pretend. I decided that we had to make a sacrifice and Callie might have
to
suffer in Jesus name. Luckily he didn’t. We finished and were given a
thank you
clap which is a rhythmic clap. We then continued with our bible stories
of Noah’s
Ark, Jesus making lots of fish and bread. Winnie then told a story which
didn’t
quite follow the theme of our stories with a happy ending. Her story
consisted
of a cow and a monkey and the cow asked for some bananas but the monkey
said no
and the cow died of starvation. It was charming nun the less and by this
time
mothers had come to see what the kids were all gathered about and to
take their
children home. We then deiced ti finish the day with a prayer in which
Natalie
prayed over them. We hugged them all good night, gave high fives and
tried to
slip inside without the children who eagerly clung to us. Solomon had
some food
to bring in and the kids helped us carry it in and they were ecstatic to
be
inside our yard. They sated on the car park and did a good job carrying
in the
food. They ran around screaming just simply because they were inside.
Anyway our
day ended as we waved our last goodbyes and stood inside our yard
looking at
each other feeling so happy and complete. I can’t wait to play with them
again
and feel that we can show the Jesus love as some families are Muslim and
others
non believers. Such simple stories to us were incredible to them. I had
to
obviously make them simple and keep to a skinny plot and it seemed to work. It is amazing how
much just spending time with kids and a smile will influence them. In the end
its just all about Love.
Monday -11/3/13
Today started off like most of my Mondays...a long sleep in.
Then at 1:30pm we went to the Mexican restaurant we have been planning to go to
for some time. I ordered a burger whilst everyone else had the Mexican dishes
they all greatly missed. I decided that with all the spices and weird tastes
that it was safer to just go with what I knew, it wasn’t the greatest, but wasn’t
the worst and I probably won’t be going back. However the main idea was to meet
some girls who were volunteering at the bay’s home; it was really nice to get
to know them and I think they had felt and gone through a lot of the same
things we went through.
After that we walked to the craft market where I ordered an
elephant painting. I am so excited to see it completed and actually get it. I
had intended to buy another painting that A lady had told me I could have for
150,000shillings which is $50 but when I went and saw her she did remember me
but not the price and was now asking for 450’000 shillings. Blowed if I’d be
paying that much so I left satisfied with my first purchase. This guy has a
really cool style so I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I think the lady had
given me the first price because it was a rainy day and she needed to make a
sale. However today was not and she had
probably met what she needed to sell so anything now was just a bonus. I then
had a look around and saw a lion that looked like a real lion so I bought it
for my collection which is basically complete. Then I saw another lion, that
was a light wood and it was really cool and the guy had said the magical words ‘I
will give you good price’... when they say this it means they are desperate for
a sale and you can get pretty low. I think today I only really discovered this
side of the game and if I had had that prior knowledge I could have haggled him
down lower. So that will be Riley’s lion. I think he wanted a cheetah but I
haven’t found one that looks like a real cheetah so I think this is a much better
choice.
Also today I have been talking to Natalie (my twin) about
fasting and have decided that we will both fast on Tuesday’s. I have never been
very into fasting but I think I should. She said one thing that pretty much
sold me to the idea... ‘ Fasting isn’t meant to be healthy for the body, it’s
meant to be healthy for the soul’. So I can’t wait and then Hannah was talking
to me saying that fasting is good to get self-control, focus on God and to get
to a place of breakthrough; which is basically for me ticking D) all of the
above.
Also this week I have been asked by Solomon to paint a
portrait of him and his girlfriend. I have started so this should be
interesting. He was also very fnd of the sick bird I think even though we had
it for not even 24hr and had even named it something like Qaurii boy. He
watched my kill it, which I am not sure was the best idea even thoug he
seemed fine, but insisted we make a
cross and we put some flowers on the grave. It was a quick berial because I
didn’t want him to see it flapping around when the nerves kicked in so it was straight
into the hole and covered up. I thought that people in Africa would all be accustomed
to death but apparently not as Kevin had pleaded we wait till this afternoon to
end its misery and I had agreed with the terms that if it wasn’t better or dead
it would have to be done to be nice. I also finally wrote a letter to my sponsor
child and painted him a picture so I will hopefully send it tomorrow.
This
week has been very good and I hope that the one to come
will be equally as exciting. I feel like I am about to have a break
through
over the next period and move into a new season. So prayers for that
please. This week I have really felt for me that sometimes you can't
have plan b because you won't make plan A happen or be totally
committed. That in everything id do I should pursue excellence. And that
I need to decide to be happy and stay committed to Gods will because my
own will is dangerouse and doesn't know what it wants. What is God's
will? Look around you, it won't be to far away if not right under your
nose. I
think that is everything and I wanted to leave you with this quote.
Forget Mistakes.
Forget Failure.
Forget everything
except what you’re going to do now and do it.
-Will Durant
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