Sometimes it just hits me like a brick. I'm in Uganda, and have been for almost 2 months. And during these 2 months, I've been a teacher, a friend, a student, a rainy day entertainer, a playmate, a nurse(I'll explain later)... but at the same time, I've had to see things that break my heart, and have left a big mark in my life. I've had to comfort 2 little girls who are ill with Malaria, I've had to buy food for a little girl who's stomach was "paining" her because of hunger and lunch wasn't ready, and I've seen children running around with no clothes on. Now, some people might think I'm complaining about the things I've seen, or that I'm growing tired of some of the challenges. But that's simply not true.
This morning, Christine, Kelsey and I took Ian, a P2 student, to see a nearby doctor because he has a serious wound on his leg from spilling hot porridge on himself a few days ago. After having an injection, ointment applied, and medicine prescribed, we walked back to the school. And then, Christine was telling us that Anisha (P3) is his sister, and his caregiver for the time being. Their mother is currently working in Kampala, and won't be returning for about a year. So that leaves a 3rd grader as the primary caregiver for a her brother, who is in 2nd grade... Is it just me, or does something sound off in this situation?? I want so badly to take care of them until their mother returns, but I don't have enough time left here to do so.
An hour or so later, we made our way back to the doctor with Ritah and Prossy, who were both complaining of headaches. Come to find out, both girls have Malaria. Ritah's temp was very low, while Prossy's was high. After some injections, more prescribed medicine, and orders to come back after school and before school tomorrow for another injection, we went back to the school, where both girls layed down to rest. They seem to be feeling a little better, but they aren't over the hill yet.
Then, after thinking we were done with our "excitement" for the day, Anisha starts complaining of a stomachache. Christine gave her some medicine, but her stomach pain did not go away. Then she said that her stomach pain was because of hunger(common problem). So Christine and I(along with her ADORABLE son, Elvis) walked down the hill to buy Anisha a snack, because Lunch wasn't even close to being ready. Anisha ended up with 2 biscuits and a banana... enough to hold her over until lunch.
As I sat in the office eating lunch this afternoon, I looked around and saw Ian, Ritah, Prossy, and Anisha, smiling and coloring, along with Jessica, Shakira, Marvin, Vicky, and the other Ritah(These 5 kids aren't sick but just wanted to spend time with their friends). And as I listened to the sound of the heavy rain on the church's tin roof, I thanked God for putting smiles back on these beautiful faces that I love so much. But my heart still longs to do more for them. That's what hurts the most. Knowing that Ritah and Prossy still need to be cure of their Malaria. Knowing that Anisha and Ian's mother won't be home for a year. Knowing that most of these children live in such extreme cases of poverty. Knowing that we're only their teachers for 2 more days... But I'm going to give up control. I'm gonna let go, and let God take the wheel. And really, he's been in control this whole time.
I don't know what else to say to these children when we leave, other than
Nkkwagala ("I Love You" in Luganda)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Forever Changed
Sometimes I have to be reminded of just how important our attitudes are. They affect so much, and it they can influence people too. I never imagined Kelsey would've been able to come with me on this trip, but looking at it now, things would be so different here without her. I never imagined that i'd have my 1st teaching job at 15 yrs old, but here I am now. I never imagined that these kids could change me in the way that they have, but... they have. And the attitude I have everyday makes a difference. If I choose to drag around all day, they are gonna do the exact opposite, but they can tell i'm not being myself, and they start to think it's because they've annoyed me in some way (which they haven't). So looking at our last 3 days here at the school...
Attitude means everything.
As we pulled up to the school this morning, I was tired. I just wanted to go back to bed... I had the wrong attitude. And my kids turned it right around, before I had even said goodmorning to them.
It was no sooner than we had turned onto the bumpy road to the school, that we saw this massive group of little children in green uniforms, running full speed towards our car! And Michael looks back at us and says "Oh! Oh! Oh! They want to see their teachers!" I honestly felt like I was going to cry! Suddenly we were surrounded by little kids, banging on our window, wanting us to come out. It was a feeling, that I wouldn't trade in a million years. "Can we get out and walk to the school with them?!?!" Kelsey asked in a very excited, yet serious look on her face. I don't really know why she asked, considering we were out the door before we even got an answer! We walked, skipped, and danced the rest of the way up the hill, in the middle of a sea of children.
Words can not describe, how happy I was, and still am. And looking back at it now, i'm almost in tears at how much they really love us! They've given me so much more than I could ever ask for. They are so, incredible, and I love them... more than they will ever know.
Yesterday, 2 little girls came to the school. Ritah, is in P3, and Vicky, is in P1. I had the privilage of spending some time with Ritah, and she is absolutely precious. She has a beautiful smile, and she hides her face whenever I ask her a question (which I find rather adorable). She likes football (soccer), and enjoys singing & dancing, and her favorite school subject is English. And Vicky has the most ADORABLE little laugh, and a big, bright smile. And just like her sister, she loves to play and dance around. And both of these girls like matoke(a meal made from bananas).
This afternoon, I spent a few hours with our other Ritah, who is in P4. But that time wasn't spent playing, or laughing, or dancing around.
Ritah is sick.
With a headache, a stomachache, and a fever, sweet Ritah slept on my lap for quiet some time, only waking up long enough to eat and drink a few sips of her water(not filtered, of course). And everytime I looked into her eyes, I could see that she was hurting. As I rubbed her back and hummed softly as she slept, I longed for the chance to see her beautiful smile. But when she woke, there was no smile. Christine suspects that Ritah has Malaria. I don't know if it's that serious, but if she's right... I don't even want to think about that. Ritah is a strong little girl, and she's a fighter, and I have no doubt that she's gonna be just fine. But having known how horrible headaches feel, my heart aches for this sweet little girl.
With a new Ritah, and a new Vicky making my day a little brighter, and then with our other Ritah being sick, my heart longs to spend more time here. We only have 3 days left at the school, and then we won't be their teachers anymore. We'll be leaving Uganda a week from today. I can't imaine waking up one day and realizing, "I'm not their teacher anymore." It just seems too strange. Adjusting back to my day-to-day life... not seeing these beautiful faces everyday... not being here... it's so hard to imagine.
Just a fair warning everybody... I will never be the same. These children have left a big mark on my life, and no matter what, I will NEVER forget them.
Jemima (Nursery)
Shakira (P4)
Rose (P3)
Reyna (P2)
Prossy (P4)
Vicky (P1)
Jovan (P4)
Moses (P3)
Marvin (P2)
Ian (P2)
Aisha (P3)
Ritah (P3)
Jessica (P3)
Anisha (P3)
Jonathon (P4)
Ritah (P4)
These are just a few of the children that have changed my life... Forever <3
Attitude means everything.
As we pulled up to the school this morning, I was tired. I just wanted to go back to bed... I had the wrong attitude. And my kids turned it right around, before I had even said goodmorning to them.
It was no sooner than we had turned onto the bumpy road to the school, that we saw this massive group of little children in green uniforms, running full speed towards our car! And Michael looks back at us and says "Oh! Oh! Oh! They want to see their teachers!" I honestly felt like I was going to cry! Suddenly we were surrounded by little kids, banging on our window, wanting us to come out. It was a feeling, that I wouldn't trade in a million years. "Can we get out and walk to the school with them?!?!" Kelsey asked in a very excited, yet serious look on her face. I don't really know why she asked, considering we were out the door before we even got an answer! We walked, skipped, and danced the rest of the way up the hill, in the middle of a sea of children.
Words can not describe, how happy I was, and still am. And looking back at it now, i'm almost in tears at how much they really love us! They've given me so much more than I could ever ask for. They are so, incredible, and I love them... more than they will ever know.
Yesterday, 2 little girls came to the school. Ritah, is in P3, and Vicky, is in P1. I had the privilage of spending some time with Ritah, and she is absolutely precious. She has a beautiful smile, and she hides her face whenever I ask her a question (which I find rather adorable). She likes football (soccer), and enjoys singing & dancing, and her favorite school subject is English. And Vicky has the most ADORABLE little laugh, and a big, bright smile. And just like her sister, she loves to play and dance around. And both of these girls like matoke(a meal made from bananas).
This afternoon, I spent a few hours with our other Ritah, who is in P4. But that time wasn't spent playing, or laughing, or dancing around.
Ritah is sick.
With a headache, a stomachache, and a fever, sweet Ritah slept on my lap for quiet some time, only waking up long enough to eat and drink a few sips of her water(not filtered, of course). And everytime I looked into her eyes, I could see that she was hurting. As I rubbed her back and hummed softly as she slept, I longed for the chance to see her beautiful smile. But when she woke, there was no smile. Christine suspects that Ritah has Malaria. I don't know if it's that serious, but if she's right... I don't even want to think about that. Ritah is a strong little girl, and she's a fighter, and I have no doubt that she's gonna be just fine. But having known how horrible headaches feel, my heart aches for this sweet little girl.
With a new Ritah, and a new Vicky making my day a little brighter, and then with our other Ritah being sick, my heart longs to spend more time here. We only have 3 days left at the school, and then we won't be their teachers anymore. We'll be leaving Uganda a week from today. I can't imaine waking up one day and realizing, "I'm not their teacher anymore." It just seems too strange. Adjusting back to my day-to-day life... not seeing these beautiful faces everyday... not being here... it's so hard to imagine.
Just a fair warning everybody... I will never be the same. These children have left a big mark on my life, and no matter what, I will NEVER forget them.
Jemima (Nursery)
Shakira (P4)
Rose (P3)
Reyna (P2)
Prossy (P4)
Vicky (P1)
Jovan (P4)
Moses (P3)
Marvin (P2)
Ian (P2)
Aisha (P3)
Ritah (P3)
Jessica (P3)
Anisha (P3)
Jonathon (P4)
Ritah (P4)
These are just a few of the children that have changed my life... Forever <3
Friday, November 2, 2012
The Greatest Need
A few weeks ago, I did a post saying that the school has several renovations to be done. Since then, many people have asked both Kelsey and myself, how help can be given. So today, I want to tell you about what some of the needs are, and I hope you will be in prayer for them.
1. Flooding/Roofing: Because of the lack of roofs on 2 of the 5 classrooms, they flood every single time it rains. So almost every morning, the students have to de-flood their classrooms. Kelsey and I spent probably an hour on Wednesday helping them get rid of all the water in their rooms, while it was still raining. I would definitely call this the greatest need.
2. School Fees: Every once in a while, we continue to see children being sent home because of school fees. Most of the students need sponsors. This is a great need also. To send just 1 child to this school for an entire year, costs as little as $30. That's a few trips to Starbucks, or a dinner out.
3. Steps: Some of the classrooms are somewhat elevated, so although it's not top priority, steps are needed.
4. Grass: I wouldn't call this a need, but it is something they are wanting to add to the school. It would somewhat help the mud situation, but the mud doesn't stop classes or really cause much damage, so I would probably consider grass to be the least priority at this point.
So roofing, flood control around the school grounds, and the school fees are the greatest needs at the time. The other roofs are supposed to be going up next week (hopefully), but the flooding and school fees are still a problem.
Kelsey and I have decided that we want to start raising donations and finding sponsors as soon as we get home, so please be in prayer for that as well. I greatly appreciate how much you have all wanted to help! We will have more details and information when we get home, but if you have any questions about the flooding, the roofs, or the students, you are welcome to message me on Facebook, and I will try to answer some of your questions.
Thank you all again! The need at this school is great, and your help and support will make a BIG difference!
1. Flooding/Roofing: Because of the lack of roofs on 2 of the 5 classrooms, they flood every single time it rains. So almost every morning, the students have to de-flood their classrooms. Kelsey and I spent probably an hour on Wednesday helping them get rid of all the water in their rooms, while it was still raining. I would definitely call this the greatest need.
2. School Fees: Every once in a while, we continue to see children being sent home because of school fees. Most of the students need sponsors. This is a great need also. To send just 1 child to this school for an entire year, costs as little as $30. That's a few trips to Starbucks, or a dinner out.
3. Steps: Some of the classrooms are somewhat elevated, so although it's not top priority, steps are needed.
4. Grass: I wouldn't call this a need, but it is something they are wanting to add to the school. It would somewhat help the mud situation, but the mud doesn't stop classes or really cause much damage, so I would probably consider grass to be the least priority at this point.
So roofing, flood control around the school grounds, and the school fees are the greatest needs at the time. The other roofs are supposed to be going up next week (hopefully), but the flooding and school fees are still a problem.
Kelsey and I have decided that we want to start raising donations and finding sponsors as soon as we get home, so please be in prayer for that as well. I greatly appreciate how much you have all wanted to help! We will have more details and information when we get home, but if you have any questions about the flooding, the roofs, or the students, you are welcome to message me on Facebook, and I will try to answer some of your questions.
 |
| School photo with all students, teachers, and the Muzungu visitors <3 |
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Love is Calling
It's hard to believe that we'll be leaving Uganda 2 weeks from today. It seems like we just got here yesterday, but we've actually been here a little over 5 weeks. How the time flew by so fast, I will never know.
Kelsey and I have talked a few times about how hard it'll be to re-adjust to our normal lives in America. But I've realized that the life I'm currently living here in Uganda, is normal to me. It seems normal to see chickens and goats everywhere I go. It seems normal to eat either Posho or Rice almost everyday for lunch. It seems normal to have a bunch of little children surround our car every morning, and it seems normal to have even more little children come up to us and hug us as we leave every afternoon. It seems normal to choose a skirt to wear every morning instead of searching for my favorite pair of jeans. All of these things seem perfectly normal to me!! Now, don't get me wrong, I still look forward to putting on my sweat pants every night, and I can't wait to come home and wear pants whenever I want. But I've gotten so used to the day-to-day life here, that NOTHING seems to surprise me anymore.
For those of you who didn't see me post about it on Facebook, I learned that the little girl who I have been calling Beckah, is actually Jemima. She was probably playing "Let's trick the Muzungu!!" I have no idea how I heard the name "Beckah", but I just wanted to clear that up. Also, Kelsey worked with Aisha yesterday, and she told me afterwards that she thinks Aisha has Dyslexia. Dyslexia isn't something you would hear about in Uganda, and finding someone who can help Aisha with that will be difficult, so please be in prayer about that, as well as the school situation.
Yesterday during P.E., a group of children surrounded us, and with a very sad look in their eyes, said "We will cry when you leave..." How can you look into those beautiful brown eyes, and it not melt your heart??? We hugged them, and said "We will cry too!!!!" And the whole time, I was holding back tears. You see, these children aren't just our students anymore. In fact, they've never been "just students" to me. They are SO much more than that. They're my friends, my playmates, my students, my teachers (some of them have been teaching us to speak Luganda), my "little monkeys" (the boys are anyway), but more than anything, they feel like family to me. And in the Christian aspect, they are. But they're family to me in another way too. I can't explain it in words, but these children have filled my heart with so much Joy!!!
One of my favorite songs that got me pumped up for this trip, is "Love is Calling" by Karen Spurlock. Part of the chorus says:
"Reach the fallen, reach the broken, help them keep going, come on, Love is Calling you"
Everytime I hear those words, I think of Uganda, and all these lost, broken people, who need someone to help them keep going. They need JESUS.
Over these last several weeks... months, actually... all I've wanted to do is make a change. Change just one life. I know now, that only God can change lives. And my hope, is that He will change lives here in Uganda through me, and Kelsey, and Paps, with the men he's teaching.
God is Love.
Love has called me to Uganda.
Love has called me, and Love is calling you <3
*EXTRA NOTE*
I want to thank all of you who have wanted to help with the school situation. It is GREATLY appreciated!! We will keep you updated during these last 2 weeks, and when we get home we will tell you all of the details. God bless you all!!
Kelsey and I have talked a few times about how hard it'll be to re-adjust to our normal lives in America. But I've realized that the life I'm currently living here in Uganda, is normal to me. It seems normal to see chickens and goats everywhere I go. It seems normal to eat either Posho or Rice almost everyday for lunch. It seems normal to have a bunch of little children surround our car every morning, and it seems normal to have even more little children come up to us and hug us as we leave every afternoon. It seems normal to choose a skirt to wear every morning instead of searching for my favorite pair of jeans. All of these things seem perfectly normal to me!! Now, don't get me wrong, I still look forward to putting on my sweat pants every night, and I can't wait to come home and wear pants whenever I want. But I've gotten so used to the day-to-day life here, that NOTHING seems to surprise me anymore.
For those of you who didn't see me post about it on Facebook, I learned that the little girl who I have been calling Beckah, is actually Jemima. She was probably playing "Let's trick the Muzungu!!" I have no idea how I heard the name "Beckah", but I just wanted to clear that up. Also, Kelsey worked with Aisha yesterday, and she told me afterwards that she thinks Aisha has Dyslexia. Dyslexia isn't something you would hear about in Uganda, and finding someone who can help Aisha with that will be difficult, so please be in prayer about that, as well as the school situation.
Yesterday during P.E., a group of children surrounded us, and with a very sad look in their eyes, said "We will cry when you leave..." How can you look into those beautiful brown eyes, and it not melt your heart??? We hugged them, and said "We will cry too!!!!" And the whole time, I was holding back tears. You see, these children aren't just our students anymore. In fact, they've never been "just students" to me. They are SO much more than that. They're my friends, my playmates, my students, my teachers (some of them have been teaching us to speak Luganda), my "little monkeys" (the boys are anyway), but more than anything, they feel like family to me. And in the Christian aspect, they are. But they're family to me in another way too. I can't explain it in words, but these children have filled my heart with so much Joy!!!
One of my favorite songs that got me pumped up for this trip, is "Love is Calling" by Karen Spurlock. Part of the chorus says:
"Reach the fallen, reach the broken, help them keep going, come on, Love is Calling you"
Everytime I hear those words, I think of Uganda, and all these lost, broken people, who need someone to help them keep going. They need JESUS.
Over these last several weeks... months, actually... all I've wanted to do is make a change. Change just one life. I know now, that only God can change lives. And my hope, is that He will change lives here in Uganda through me, and Kelsey, and Paps, with the men he's teaching.
God is Love.
Love has called me to Uganda.
Love has called me, and Love is calling you <3
*EXTRA NOTE*
I want to thank all of you who have wanted to help with the school situation. It is GREATLY appreciated!! We will keep you updated during these last 2 weeks, and when we get home we will tell you all of the details. God bless you all!!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Hallelujah
Wow, only 3 weeks left. I look back at the day we left and wonder how the trip is already halfway over. It's insane...
I never could've imagined what this trip would be like. I guess I had an idea, but man, God sure surprised me! I mean, how many 15 year olds can say that they have been a teacher. And i'm not talking about VBS volunteer teacher, either. Nope, i'm a real (temporary) teacher. Whether it's physical education, reading, bible, or craft, my students never let me have a dull moment. NEVER. Seriously! In P.E. today, I had to constantly keep an eye on the boys, because they find it extremely fun to run into the woods behind the school and climb up the trees like little monkeys. And they find it hilarious when I come at them, yelling for them to get down. They just smile and laugh at their Mzoongoo teacher. But honestly, I had to laugh too. It was quite funny.
For those of you that have been reading my other blog posts, Isha is doing very well. Starting last Friday, I have been taking her out of class to work with her one-on-one, and she's doing great. Friday I taught her the words "at", "bat", "cat", "fat", "hat", "knat" "mat", "pat", "rat", and "sat", and then today I taught her "book", "cook", "hook", "look", shook" and "took", and she is really getting it. I'll go over how to sound out each word with her, and then I ask her to write it, and then spell it without looking. One of the things Isha struggles with, is telling different letters apart. I'll ask her to spell "Hook", and she spells "Kook." She just gets it mixed up in her head. And she also struggles with which word is which from time to time. I ask her to spell "Cook" and she spells "Book" instead. But once I explain to her what she did wrong, and help her with it, she does great. She can spell "Shook" now, and that was one of the harder words I taught her.
Now, I know you probably find it odd that i'm teaching such simple words to a 3rd grader. But honestly, I have too. This school hasn't even been open for a full year yet, and Isha most likely has never even stepped foot in a school. It's difficult, but she's making marvelous progress. Ebenezer Christian Academy is a private school, and so the families pay lots of money to send their kids to school. If they go to a public school, which is government sponsored, the cost is a lot less. So it's rather amazing to me that so many families have been sending their children to this private school, and it truly is a God thing. This school teaches disipline, respect, and among other things... they teach them about Jesus.
The one thing that concerns me, is that I'm not going to be able to continue pulling Isha out of class forever. And that's gonna be tough. She gets distracted easily, she has trouble with big words, and she she constantly needs someone to motivate her. Yeah, I can sit beside her in class, keep her focused, motivate her, and help her with the words. But what about when we leave? There are times when there's not even a teacher in the room(because of teacher shortage)!! How in the world is she supposed to get the help she needs to learn, if they can't even have a teacher in the room at all times? Kelsey mentioned a tutor, which is a wonderful idea, but there's a very little chance of finding one, excpecially if they're going to want money(Why am I saying "if"?!) The idea of having to leave Isha with no one to help her with her struggles, is not a pleasent thought. And it frustrates me just to think about it.
Prossy asked me to be her sponsor (again) today, and It broke my heart when I had to tell her no. She asked me the same question at the beginning of the trip, as well as the question about buying her a uniform. Well, I had said no to both, because it didn't seem possible. But then, we were able to provide uniforms for ALL of the students. So I guess when that happened, she got the impression that I'd be able to be her sponsor as well. And being a sponsor is rather expensive. It is most definetly something, that I can not afford to do. So when I had to tell this sweet girl that I couldn't sponsor her, I was devestated. And i'm sure she was too!
Everyday, God surprises me. He put me here to help a little girl learn to read. He put me here to bring encouragement to a 4th grader. He put me here to be a friend to Beckah, and to the rest of the kids. And then I wonder, why would God put me HERE? A place of such poverty. A place where some children simpy can't go to school because of money. A place where a classroom doesn't always have a teacher. A place where people are dying everyday because of disease. Why? Why me? Why here? Why bring me here if I can't help out long term? But then I realize, I'm not in control of what happens. I'm not the one who calls the shots. God is. Everyday, God reminds me that HE is in control. Everyday, he reminds me that he is always here. And everyday, he makes me say Hallelujah.
I never could've imagined what this trip would be like. I guess I had an idea, but man, God sure surprised me! I mean, how many 15 year olds can say that they have been a teacher. And i'm not talking about VBS volunteer teacher, either. Nope, i'm a real (temporary) teacher. Whether it's physical education, reading, bible, or craft, my students never let me have a dull moment. NEVER. Seriously! In P.E. today, I had to constantly keep an eye on the boys, because they find it extremely fun to run into the woods behind the school and climb up the trees like little monkeys. And they find it hilarious when I come at them, yelling for them to get down. They just smile and laugh at their Mzoongoo teacher. But honestly, I had to laugh too. It was quite funny.
For those of you that have been reading my other blog posts, Isha is doing very well. Starting last Friday, I have been taking her out of class to work with her one-on-one, and she's doing great. Friday I taught her the words "at", "bat", "cat", "fat", "hat", "knat" "mat", "pat", "rat", and "sat", and then today I taught her "book", "cook", "hook", "look", shook" and "took", and she is really getting it. I'll go over how to sound out each word with her, and then I ask her to write it, and then spell it without looking. One of the things Isha struggles with, is telling different letters apart. I'll ask her to spell "Hook", and she spells "Kook." She just gets it mixed up in her head. And she also struggles with which word is which from time to time. I ask her to spell "Cook" and she spells "Book" instead. But once I explain to her what she did wrong, and help her with it, she does great. She can spell "Shook" now, and that was one of the harder words I taught her.
Now, I know you probably find it odd that i'm teaching such simple words to a 3rd grader. But honestly, I have too. This school hasn't even been open for a full year yet, and Isha most likely has never even stepped foot in a school. It's difficult, but she's making marvelous progress. Ebenezer Christian Academy is a private school, and so the families pay lots of money to send their kids to school. If they go to a public school, which is government sponsored, the cost is a lot less. So it's rather amazing to me that so many families have been sending their children to this private school, and it truly is a God thing. This school teaches disipline, respect, and among other things... they teach them about Jesus.
The one thing that concerns me, is that I'm not going to be able to continue pulling Isha out of class forever. And that's gonna be tough. She gets distracted easily, she has trouble with big words, and she she constantly needs someone to motivate her. Yeah, I can sit beside her in class, keep her focused, motivate her, and help her with the words. But what about when we leave? There are times when there's not even a teacher in the room(because of teacher shortage)!! How in the world is she supposed to get the help she needs to learn, if they can't even have a teacher in the room at all times? Kelsey mentioned a tutor, which is a wonderful idea, but there's a very little chance of finding one, excpecially if they're going to want money(Why am I saying "if"?!) The idea of having to leave Isha with no one to help her with her struggles, is not a pleasent thought. And it frustrates me just to think about it.
Prossy asked me to be her sponsor (again) today, and It broke my heart when I had to tell her no. She asked me the same question at the beginning of the trip, as well as the question about buying her a uniform. Well, I had said no to both, because it didn't seem possible. But then, we were able to provide uniforms for ALL of the students. So I guess when that happened, she got the impression that I'd be able to be her sponsor as well. And being a sponsor is rather expensive. It is most definetly something, that I can not afford to do. So when I had to tell this sweet girl that I couldn't sponsor her, I was devestated. And i'm sure she was too!
Everyday, God surprises me. He put me here to help a little girl learn to read. He put me here to bring encouragement to a 4th grader. He put me here to be a friend to Beckah, and to the rest of the kids. And then I wonder, why would God put me HERE? A place of such poverty. A place where some children simpy can't go to school because of money. A place where a classroom doesn't always have a teacher. A place where people are dying everyday because of disease. Why? Why me? Why here? Why bring me here if I can't help out long term? But then I realize, I'm not in control of what happens. I'm not the one who calls the shots. God is. Everyday, God reminds me that HE is in control. Everyday, he reminds me that he is always here. And everyday, he makes me say Hallelujah.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Patience and Positive Reinforcement
Yesterday, I wrote about a little girl in P3, whom I was very proud of, because she said her memory verse. Well, her name is Isha. And I am now, EXTREMELY proud of her.
Today, we gave our P3 class a longer memory verse, and I was nervous, because I wasn't sure if she would be able to say it. But once again, God showed me how incapable I am, and how mighty and powerful HE is.
Kelsey was trying to teach the verse to her, but Isha simply couldn't say it. Kelsey said to me "Isha seems to respond to you more, will you help her?" So, I go up to the board, and start asking her to fill in the blanks. At first, she didn't say much. She kept a straight face, and I could hardly even get her to repeat me. But then, I said "Isha, you know this. What is the 1st word. I know you can do this." She began to speak, and sure enough, the word "the" came out of her mouth (very clearly, if I might add).
I smiled big from ear to ear and started to cheer her on, and encourage her to say the next word (which was a little bigger). And to my amazement, the word "Spirit" popped right out. I kept urging her to go further, and with some help, she did. We made it through "The Spirit of the Lord is on me", and I was so incredibly proud of her. Now, don't misunderstand, she did have some trouble with it. I had to help her, because she doesn't read English very well. But she CAN do it.
I really had to help her with some of the bigger words, like "because" and "anointed", and even some of the smaller words like "Lord" and "Good". She knows the words, but its hard for her to read them, and then pronounce them.
Every time she was able to say 4 or 5 of the words without needing me to say them first, I was as excited as a little child on Christmas morning! Wait... nope. I was MORE excited than that!!! And after going over the verse a few times with her, she was able to say it (slowly, and with a few mispronounced words) all by herself! I was - I am, so extremely, and incredibly proud of her!
Isha is smart. You just have to go slower with her, and it helps a lot, if you can get her to focus on you (and only you), and really think about what you're asking her to do. But more than anything, Isha responds, to Positive Reinforcement. The more I cheer her on, and clap when she gets a word right, and hug her when she can say it without me... the more willing she is to come out of her shell and participate. And believe it or not, positive reinforcement is something that is obviously not practiced here. For the most part, the teachers are stern, and they don't cheer the kids on very much. I guess it's the way they do things, and I'm not saying the way they do it is wrong. But for most kids, Isha included, you have to go another direction. You have to clap when they say the word, especially if they pronounce it right. And you have to cheer them on, and encourage them to keep going. You have to motivate them, and show them that it's good to participate. And above all, you have to be patient. You can't yell, or blow your top if they take a little longer. You can't expect them to do it perfectly the first time around. You can't expect that they will always focus on you and what you're saying, because its hard for them to understand you sometimes. And honestly, "You" could be replaced with "I", every single time. I have to be patient. I can't yell, or blow my top if they take a little longer. I can't expect them to do it perfectly the first time around. And I can't expect that they will always focus on me and what I'm saying, because yeah, it's hard for them to understand my crazy Kentucky talk sometimes.
Patience isn't something I come about easily, but i'm learning. It's not always easy, but the look on that little girls face when I hug her, and cheer her on, and tell her how proud of her I am, makes it all so much more than worth it.
Patience, and Positive Reinforcement, is what it's gonna take to have a breakthrough with Isha.
Today, we gave our P3 class a longer memory verse, and I was nervous, because I wasn't sure if she would be able to say it. But once again, God showed me how incapable I am, and how mighty and powerful HE is.
Kelsey was trying to teach the verse to her, but Isha simply couldn't say it. Kelsey said to me "Isha seems to respond to you more, will you help her?" So, I go up to the board, and start asking her to fill in the blanks. At first, she didn't say much. She kept a straight face, and I could hardly even get her to repeat me. But then, I said "Isha, you know this. What is the 1st word. I know you can do this." She began to speak, and sure enough, the word "the" came out of her mouth (very clearly, if I might add).
I smiled big from ear to ear and started to cheer her on, and encourage her to say the next word (which was a little bigger). And to my amazement, the word "Spirit" popped right out. I kept urging her to go further, and with some help, she did. We made it through "The Spirit of the Lord is on me", and I was so incredibly proud of her. Now, don't misunderstand, she did have some trouble with it. I had to help her, because she doesn't read English very well. But she CAN do it.
I really had to help her with some of the bigger words, like "because" and "anointed", and even some of the smaller words like "Lord" and "Good". She knows the words, but its hard for her to read them, and then pronounce them.
Every time she was able to say 4 or 5 of the words without needing me to say them first, I was as excited as a little child on Christmas morning! Wait... nope. I was MORE excited than that!!! And after going over the verse a few times with her, she was able to say it (slowly, and with a few mispronounced words) all by herself! I was - I am, so extremely, and incredibly proud of her!
Isha is smart. You just have to go slower with her, and it helps a lot, if you can get her to focus on you (and only you), and really think about what you're asking her to do. But more than anything, Isha responds, to Positive Reinforcement. The more I cheer her on, and clap when she gets a word right, and hug her when she can say it without me... the more willing she is to come out of her shell and participate. And believe it or not, positive reinforcement is something that is obviously not practiced here. For the most part, the teachers are stern, and they don't cheer the kids on very much. I guess it's the way they do things, and I'm not saying the way they do it is wrong. But for most kids, Isha included, you have to go another direction. You have to clap when they say the word, especially if they pronounce it right. And you have to cheer them on, and encourage them to keep going. You have to motivate them, and show them that it's good to participate. And above all, you have to be patient. You can't yell, or blow your top if they take a little longer. You can't expect them to do it perfectly the first time around. You can't expect that they will always focus on you and what you're saying, because its hard for them to understand you sometimes. And honestly, "You" could be replaced with "I", every single time. I have to be patient. I can't yell, or blow my top if they take a little longer. I can't expect them to do it perfectly the first time around. And I can't expect that they will always focus on me and what I'm saying, because yeah, it's hard for them to understand my crazy Kentucky talk sometimes.
Patience isn't something I come about easily, but i'm learning. It's not always easy, but the look on that little girls face when I hug her, and cheer her on, and tell her how proud of her I am, makes it all so much more than worth it.
Patience, and Positive Reinforcement, is what it's gonna take to have a breakthrough with Isha.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
4 more weeks
Before I get to far into this post, let me just say that it may seem all over the place. I plan to tell you about a few different things today, and they don't all connect or make since together, but I'm gonna do my best to make them flow.
So, to start with, there are only about 4 weeks left until we finish up here in Uganda, and to be honest, I don't exactly know how I feel about that. On one hand, I'm excited to get home and see my incredible family and friends, but at the same time, I can't image having to say goodbye to all of my students and my new friends. We've gotten so close to these children, that now when we arrive every morning, they want only to hug us, and play with us. At first they would do nothing but neal and shake our hands. But now, all I have to do is open my arms, and I am suddenly overwhelmed with a hundred big hugs.
I want to "introduce" you to some of the children. I wish i had a way to put my pictures of them on here, but i promise to do that as soon as I get home in America.
Prossy is a 10 year old girl, but she looks like she should really be 16. She's always smiling, and I absolutely LOVE her laugh. She used to always shake our hands, but now we hug all the time. Sometimes I like to run up behind her and give her, as my sister would call it, a "sneak attack" hug. Looking at Prossy, you would never know the state of poverty she lives in everyday. She always comes to school clean, and she's incredibly smart. She's a P4 student, and Kelsey and I speak in her class nearly everyday, so we've really gotten to know her.
Beckah is a 6 year old girl, and I'm sure you remember me talking about her in my last post. Her smile is what I think of every morning as I'm getting ready, and her laugh is what I hear in my head as I fall asleep every night. I can't remember even one time that I've seen her unhappy. This girl, is precious, and absolutely adorable. I love her so much.
Moses is in P3, and he is one of the smartest kids I have met during his trip. He listens well, memorizes the bible verses, retains information almost perfectly, and he always pays attention to our lessons. He's always smiling, and he's very kind and polite. If you ever come to Uganda, you'd definitely wanna meet Moses.
Martha is in the Nursery school with Beckah, and although I don't know her exact age, I'm guessing she's about 6 as well. This energetic loving, huggable, adorable little girl has a smile that could light up the world. Kelsey calls her, and I quote, "The most adorable human being on the face of the planet!" She always smiles, and runs up to hug us every morning. She is absolutely beautiful.
Shakira is a P4 student, and is very smart. She always pays attention and is always excited to learn. Shakira is a beautiful, bright, fun loving, and funny 10 year old, and I feel so privileged to be one of her teachers.
Precious is a beautiful 8 year old girl in P2. This little ball of energy is always smiling, always playing, and loves attention. She has a beautiful smile, and an absolutely adorable laugh. She loves to run, and dance, and sing, and play. She is truly, "precious".
Today was definitely an incredible day. Our attempt to teach the children "heads up, 7 up" didn't go so well, but they love playing "red rover". Oh, and let me tell ya, in P3 bible class, I went crazy. Only 2 of the 4 students in our class today understood us really well, so when it came time to teach them the memory verse, and they all said it without reading it on the board, I was ecstatic! I started jumping up and down, and cheering, and handing out silly bandz all around!! I was yelling "Whoo hoo! P3 rocks! Jump, jump, jump!!" And the students joined in, and we all cheered for their success in understanding us and memorizing the verse. It truly was a break through moment, because that's been one of the hardest classes we've had, simply because they don't always understand us. But today, God gave me a boost of encouragement A BIG ONE! One of the girls that said the verse, can't read English very well, but she can somewhat understand it. But this morning, she simply couldn't understand us. That, or she wasn't responding. But then she really came out of her shell, and when she said that verse, I gave her a big high five, gave her a silly band, looked her right in the eyes, and said "I am SO proud of you." I'll never forget her smile when I said that.
Kelsey found a frog today.
I know I totally just switched the topic, but I gotta tell you this story. So, i'm working with the P3 kids, and Kelsey calls me over to the door, whispering "IT'S A FROG!!" I walk over, see the frog, and then walk back to the front of the class to continue teaching them the books of the bible. Beside my teaching, it was relatively quiet. Then... there was screaming from the P4 classroom. I quickly run over to their room, and see all of the girls huddled in a corner, all of the boys huddled around Kelsey, and Kelsey, was trying to catch the frog. I laugh, and then the frog hops towards me and the girls, and we all run out of the classroom screaming. Anyway, I return to my class, and start going over some stuff with the kids again, when Kelsey decides to bring the frog in to show our class. Finally, after a lot of girly screams, and a walk in the woods, the frog is set free, and everything returned to normal.
That story had nothing to do with anything I had previously said, but I just had to tell you about it because it was most definetly one of the highlights of my day. It was VERY entertaining, and i'm pretty sure we all needed that small break with laughter and a little bit of screaming. I mean, seriously, who doesn't these days?!?!
I can't imagine what it'll be like when we leave at the end of these last 4 weeks. The kids freak out when we leave at the end of the day, and we always have to remind them that we'll be back tomorrow. But there will come a day, all too soon, that they're gonna go crazy because we're leaving, and we won't be able to say "Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow." I won't be able to say that for much longer, and that breaks my heart. But I know that this won't be goodbye. Goodbye is too... permanent.
I don't like "Goodbye"
So, to start with, there are only about 4 weeks left until we finish up here in Uganda, and to be honest, I don't exactly know how I feel about that. On one hand, I'm excited to get home and see my incredible family and friends, but at the same time, I can't image having to say goodbye to all of my students and my new friends. We've gotten so close to these children, that now when we arrive every morning, they want only to hug us, and play with us. At first they would do nothing but neal and shake our hands. But now, all I have to do is open my arms, and I am suddenly overwhelmed with a hundred big hugs.
I want to "introduce" you to some of the children. I wish i had a way to put my pictures of them on here, but i promise to do that as soon as I get home in America.
Prossy is a 10 year old girl, but she looks like she should really be 16. She's always smiling, and I absolutely LOVE her laugh. She used to always shake our hands, but now we hug all the time. Sometimes I like to run up behind her and give her, as my sister would call it, a "sneak attack" hug. Looking at Prossy, you would never know the state of poverty she lives in everyday. She always comes to school clean, and she's incredibly smart. She's a P4 student, and Kelsey and I speak in her class nearly everyday, so we've really gotten to know her.
Beckah is a 6 year old girl, and I'm sure you remember me talking about her in my last post. Her smile is what I think of every morning as I'm getting ready, and her laugh is what I hear in my head as I fall asleep every night. I can't remember even one time that I've seen her unhappy. This girl, is precious, and absolutely adorable. I love her so much.
Moses is in P3, and he is one of the smartest kids I have met during his trip. He listens well, memorizes the bible verses, retains information almost perfectly, and he always pays attention to our lessons. He's always smiling, and he's very kind and polite. If you ever come to Uganda, you'd definitely wanna meet Moses.
Martha is in the Nursery school with Beckah, and although I don't know her exact age, I'm guessing she's about 6 as well. This energetic loving, huggable, adorable little girl has a smile that could light up the world. Kelsey calls her, and I quote, "The most adorable human being on the face of the planet!" She always smiles, and runs up to hug us every morning. She is absolutely beautiful.
Shakira is a P4 student, and is very smart. She always pays attention and is always excited to learn. Shakira is a beautiful, bright, fun loving, and funny 10 year old, and I feel so privileged to be one of her teachers.
Precious is a beautiful 8 year old girl in P2. This little ball of energy is always smiling, always playing, and loves attention. She has a beautiful smile, and an absolutely adorable laugh. She loves to run, and dance, and sing, and play. She is truly, "precious".
Today was definitely an incredible day. Our attempt to teach the children "heads up, 7 up" didn't go so well, but they love playing "red rover". Oh, and let me tell ya, in P3 bible class, I went crazy. Only 2 of the 4 students in our class today understood us really well, so when it came time to teach them the memory verse, and they all said it without reading it on the board, I was ecstatic! I started jumping up and down, and cheering, and handing out silly bandz all around!! I was yelling "Whoo hoo! P3 rocks! Jump, jump, jump!!" And the students joined in, and we all cheered for their success in understanding us and memorizing the verse. It truly was a break through moment, because that's been one of the hardest classes we've had, simply because they don't always understand us. But today, God gave me a boost of encouragement A BIG ONE! One of the girls that said the verse, can't read English very well, but she can somewhat understand it. But this morning, she simply couldn't understand us. That, or she wasn't responding. But then she really came out of her shell, and when she said that verse, I gave her a big high five, gave her a silly band, looked her right in the eyes, and said "I am SO proud of you." I'll never forget her smile when I said that.
Kelsey found a frog today.
I know I totally just switched the topic, but I gotta tell you this story. So, i'm working with the P3 kids, and Kelsey calls me over to the door, whispering "IT'S A FROG!!" I walk over, see the frog, and then walk back to the front of the class to continue teaching them the books of the bible. Beside my teaching, it was relatively quiet. Then... there was screaming from the P4 classroom. I quickly run over to their room, and see all of the girls huddled in a corner, all of the boys huddled around Kelsey, and Kelsey, was trying to catch the frog. I laugh, and then the frog hops towards me and the girls, and we all run out of the classroom screaming. Anyway, I return to my class, and start going over some stuff with the kids again, when Kelsey decides to bring the frog in to show our class. Finally, after a lot of girly screams, and a walk in the woods, the frog is set free, and everything returned to normal.
That story had nothing to do with anything I had previously said, but I just had to tell you about it because it was most definetly one of the highlights of my day. It was VERY entertaining, and i'm pretty sure we all needed that small break with laughter and a little bit of screaming. I mean, seriously, who doesn't these days?!?!
I can't imagine what it'll be like when we leave at the end of these last 4 weeks. The kids freak out when we leave at the end of the day, and we always have to remind them that we'll be back tomorrow. But there will come a day, all too soon, that they're gonna go crazy because we're leaving, and we won't be able to say "Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow." I won't be able to say that for much longer, and that breaks my heart. But I know that this won't be goodbye. Goodbye is too... permanent.
I don't like "Goodbye"
Friday, October 12, 2012
You never let go
Today was a perfect example of why I love Uganda so much. We pulled up to the school at about 8 am, and our car was instantly surrounded by children!!! They we're screaming "teacher! teacher!" and trying to open the door to get to us. As soon as we got out, we were FLOODED with hugs from all of the children. Every single child wanted either to shake our hand, hug us, welcome us... or all of the above for that matter! We jumped right into music class with P1 and P2, where we continued to teach them "Jesus loves me" and "Jesus loves the little children". But their favorite... wait for it... the "tootie ta." The "tootie ta" is a silly kids dance that one of my old youth leaders taught us a while back. Anyways, the kids LOVE it!!! That's all they ever want to do! "Tootie Ta! Tootie Ta! Tootie Ta!" They can never get enough of it!
Today was really special for me, but NOT because of the tootie ta. It was really special for me, because of this little girl I've formed a bond with... Beckah. She's almost 6 years old, but she looks like she should be 3 or 4. She is adorable, totally lovable, and absolutely precious to me. From the first day I met her, I knew that I loved that little girl. She's one of the students that recieved her uniform on Wednesday, and she looks absolutely beautiful in it. Beckah loves to run, and play, and dance, and laugh... and she loves hugs. I probably held her in my lap for 15 minutes at one point today, just hugging onto her, and loving her, and kissing her beautiful, flawless little head. And we danced together while Kelsey played the guitar. And she loves it when I pick her up and spin her around!
Since today was Friday, Kelsey and I held a crafts class after lunch. But before we started, I sat in the shade underneath a big tree, with... you guessed right... with Beckah, my little buddy, sitting on my lap. Beckah is the type of kid that no matter what, CAN NOT sit still!!! She was constantly switching from knee to knee, from sitting to laying down... she could not stop moving. But at one point, she just relaxed, and let me hold her in my arms. I tickled her, kissed her, hugged her, and loved her. And then, something funny happened. She started pretending to slip off my lap, or lean foward pretending to fall. I looked at it like she was testing me. Testing me to see if I would catch her before she fell. And every time, I would catch her, hug her, she would laugh, and the cycle would repeat itself several times. But I remember one time she did it, where it was really emotional for me on the inside. She started to fall foward, and when I caught her, I said "I caught you, Beckah!" and then I whispered... "I will always catch you."
On the car ride home this afternoon, those words kept repeating in my head. "I will always catch you." And at one point, I realized something, that nearly brought me to tears. In 4 short weeks, i'll be leaving. And when I leave, i'll be leaving Beckah. I'll be leaving this precious little girl that I fell in love with on that first day. And when I leave, I won't be here to catch her everytime she falls. I wont be here to wipe away her tears when shes sad, or hug her everyday and tell her that she's loved. The point is... I won't be here with her. And when that thought came into my head, it was as if my heart had broken into a million little pieces, and there was nothing I could do about it.
But at the same time, God kinda tapped me on the shoulder, and said "Taylor, I love Beckah. I love her even more than you do. And I will hold her in my hands, and when she falls, I will catch her, and I will never let go of her. Do you trust me?" And at that moment, I knew that I trusted God. Because it's true. As much as I love Beckah, God loves her even more. He knew her before she was born, and he cares about her, and he loves her, and he will NEVER LET GO.
My dad also pointed something out to me while I was talking on the phone with him a little bit ago. Sometimes, God DOES let us fall. But when that happens, he picks us right back up. And I have no doubt, that God will pick Beckah up when she falls.
So in the middle of my heartbreak, God reminded me that his love is greater. That when I can't be here for Beckah, he is. He is ALWAYS there. And there's a point, where I need to just trust him with that, and let go, and let him take control. That was my lesson today.
GOD NEVER LETS GO.
Today was really special for me, but NOT because of the tootie ta. It was really special for me, because of this little girl I've formed a bond with... Beckah. She's almost 6 years old, but she looks like she should be 3 or 4. She is adorable, totally lovable, and absolutely precious to me. From the first day I met her, I knew that I loved that little girl. She's one of the students that recieved her uniform on Wednesday, and she looks absolutely beautiful in it. Beckah loves to run, and play, and dance, and laugh... and she loves hugs. I probably held her in my lap for 15 minutes at one point today, just hugging onto her, and loving her, and kissing her beautiful, flawless little head. And we danced together while Kelsey played the guitar. And she loves it when I pick her up and spin her around!
Since today was Friday, Kelsey and I held a crafts class after lunch. But before we started, I sat in the shade underneath a big tree, with... you guessed right... with Beckah, my little buddy, sitting on my lap. Beckah is the type of kid that no matter what, CAN NOT sit still!!! She was constantly switching from knee to knee, from sitting to laying down... she could not stop moving. But at one point, she just relaxed, and let me hold her in my arms. I tickled her, kissed her, hugged her, and loved her. And then, something funny happened. She started pretending to slip off my lap, or lean foward pretending to fall. I looked at it like she was testing me. Testing me to see if I would catch her before she fell. And every time, I would catch her, hug her, she would laugh, and the cycle would repeat itself several times. But I remember one time she did it, where it was really emotional for me on the inside. She started to fall foward, and when I caught her, I said "I caught you, Beckah!" and then I whispered... "I will always catch you."
On the car ride home this afternoon, those words kept repeating in my head. "I will always catch you." And at one point, I realized something, that nearly brought me to tears. In 4 short weeks, i'll be leaving. And when I leave, i'll be leaving Beckah. I'll be leaving this precious little girl that I fell in love with on that first day. And when I leave, I won't be here to catch her everytime she falls. I wont be here to wipe away her tears when shes sad, or hug her everyday and tell her that she's loved. The point is... I won't be here with her. And when that thought came into my head, it was as if my heart had broken into a million little pieces, and there was nothing I could do about it.
But at the same time, God kinda tapped me on the shoulder, and said "Taylor, I love Beckah. I love her even more than you do. And I will hold her in my hands, and when she falls, I will catch her, and I will never let go of her. Do you trust me?" And at that moment, I knew that I trusted God. Because it's true. As much as I love Beckah, God loves her even more. He knew her before she was born, and he cares about her, and he loves her, and he will NEVER LET GO.
My dad also pointed something out to me while I was talking on the phone with him a little bit ago. Sometimes, God DOES let us fall. But when that happens, he picks us right back up. And I have no doubt, that God will pick Beckah up when she falls.
So in the middle of my heartbreak, God reminded me that his love is greater. That when I can't be here for Beckah, he is. He is ALWAYS there. And there's a point, where I need to just trust him with that, and let go, and let him take control. That was my lesson today.
GOD NEVER LETS GO.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
You look "smart"
I am CONSTANTLY reminded of how amazing God is. Expecially here. Yesterday, we had been told that the price for the uniforms had gone down, dramatically, and the woman making them would start as soon as she got the materials. We expected to walk into school sometime next week and see all of the children in uniforms. Well guess what... we got a really cool surprise today.
Kelsey and I were in the middle of our physical education class with P3 and P4, when Michael (our native friend; pastor; man who started the school) came up to us, and said that the parents were here to get their children's uniforms.
Okay, freeze for a second. We just paid for the uniforms yesterday... how are some of them already done?!?! Then I remembered that some of them were already made, but no one could afford them. Well now that we had paid for them, they began to hand them out to the children. Not all of the children were given a uniform today, but they should be getting them soon.
Anyway, the children who were given their uniform today quickly changed, and ran outside to show off to their "mazoongoo teachers." And man... Kelsey and I were absolutely thrilled to see so many children already wearing their uniforms. Of course, they wanted their pictures taken. And then the parents wanted pictures with their kids. And then the teachers wanted pictures with us, and then with the kids. Lets just say that I now have over 100 pictures that i took today, and all because of those uniforms.
I won't ever be able to forget those faces, and how happy they were to finally be able to wear their schools green uniform. You'd think it was Christmas morning or something! But in reality, they act the same way when we give them a silly band, or some smarties, or a headband. Any little thing you give them, is such a huge gift. I'm still amazed at how they push and shove when they see us handing out pieces of paper! They're simple things that we take for granted, but they truly treasure them. They may never be able to afford what we bring them, but they're still grateful for what they do have.
I look back at this morning, and the reaction to the new uniforms, and I can't help but smile. And the one thing I remember most, is that the children look soooo "smart" in their uniforms. Now, when I say smart, i don't mean intellegent, or wise. "Smart" to these people means "You look good" or "You look nice". And you know what...
Those kids, look VERY smart in those uniforms.
Kelsey and I were in the middle of our physical education class with P3 and P4, when Michael (our native friend; pastor; man who started the school) came up to us, and said that the parents were here to get their children's uniforms.
Okay, freeze for a second. We just paid for the uniforms yesterday... how are some of them already done?!?! Then I remembered that some of them were already made, but no one could afford them. Well now that we had paid for them, they began to hand them out to the children. Not all of the children were given a uniform today, but they should be getting them soon.
Anyway, the children who were given their uniform today quickly changed, and ran outside to show off to their "mazoongoo teachers." And man... Kelsey and I were absolutely thrilled to see so many children already wearing their uniforms. Of course, they wanted their pictures taken. And then the parents wanted pictures with their kids. And then the teachers wanted pictures with us, and then with the kids. Lets just say that I now have over 100 pictures that i took today, and all because of those uniforms.
I won't ever be able to forget those faces, and how happy they were to finally be able to wear their schools green uniform. You'd think it was Christmas morning or something! But in reality, they act the same way when we give them a silly band, or some smarties, or a headband. Any little thing you give them, is such a huge gift. I'm still amazed at how they push and shove when they see us handing out pieces of paper! They're simple things that we take for granted, but they truly treasure them. They may never be able to afford what we bring them, but they're still grateful for what they do have.
I look back at this morning, and the reaction to the new uniforms, and I can't help but smile. And the one thing I remember most, is that the children look soooo "smart" in their uniforms. Now, when I say smart, i don't mean intellegent, or wise. "Smart" to these people means "You look good" or "You look nice". And you know what...
Those kids, look VERY smart in those uniforms.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Heart break, open eyes, and Thanksgiving
Since I posted last night, SO much has happened! I know i've been posting almost everyday, but Uganda is constantly surprising me! Today I was reminded, of just how fortunate we all are. We have homes, kitchens, food, clean water, money, clothes, medicine... we have SO much. But until today, i didn't realize how ungrateful I had been for it all.
This morning, we were going over the price for the uniforms, which is actually double what we thought it would be. However, we ARE going to provide all of those students with a uniform. God will provide, as always. I was kind of discouraged by the fact that the price was so much higher than we had been told, but we do have enough.
After Kelsey and I finished our last class, we were relaxing in the office waiting for lunch, when Christine, a teacher at the school, asked us to help her escort the younger children home (the nursery children leave before lunch). So, Kelsey and I agreed to come with her. We had NO idea what we were about to see.
First of all, many of these children walk for MILES just to come to school. As Christine led us up and down the red dirt streets, i was heart broken by some of the things I saw. Families living in houses the size of a typical american pantry, children running in the streets(some not fully clothed), sick parents, and some of those parents are home alone with 2 or 3 sick children as well. Kelsey and I were introduced to a mother caring for her son, who had fallen ill with Malaria (VERY serious disease, for those of you who don't know). Not only was she caring for her son, but she has 3 other children that she is currently putting through school (i saw no father, which is not uncommon in Uganda). As we walked upto her home, she was giving her son a bath, in what seemed like water, also with some kind of green leaves (For the record, i have absolutely no idea what was in that water). Christine asked me to take a picture of the mother and her son, so the mother quickly dressed her son, who was still covered in the green leaves, and I took the picture. And before we turned to leave, i went to the mother, and said "I pray that your son is healed, soon." She smiled, thanked us for blessing her home, and we left.
As we were walking down the street, I asked Christine how many children in that are were sick. She said that there were about 15 children who were currently ill... and all of them, with Malaria.
My heart is still breaking. I can't get those images out of my head. Children on the side of the road, alone. Girls in uniforms, walking with big jugs of water (for their school). Mothers caring for their sick children, while they are probably sick themselves!!! This is so hard for me to write about, and i'm crying right now. But, I guess you could say that's how i know this is real. And one thing that makes me cheer up a little (and hopefully it'll brighten your day), is that even through sickness, and poverty, and not knowing where their next meal is coming from (if they even have one)... these people have HOPE! And let me tell you, these people know hope. They LIVE, and BREATHE, and fight to make it through the day, because of HOPE. And it's the best kind of hope. It's hope, in Jesus. They have hope, and FAITH, that he will provide, and he will heal, and he will deliver them from their pain and suffering. And you know why they have so much hope and faith? Because the hope and faith that they have in our God, is the only thing they have!
I'm sitting here now, writing this. And i'm reminded of how blessed I am. When i come home everyday, i know that i'll have food to eat for dinner. I know, that i'll be able to shower, and sleep in a nice warm bed. I know, that i'll be able to have clean, cold water to drink. But you know what... the people I met today, can't always say that. When I go home after these last 5 1/2 weeks end, I'll be coming home to Thanksgiving. And let me tell you, I now know how much I really have to be THANKFUL for. Clothes, food, a house, a bed, clean water, medicine, cars, air conditioning... But let me tell you this. I'm also going to come back with a deaper understanding of how these people live. I thought i knew how they lived, because i had some memories of my last trip. But God brought me here again, to open my eyes, to what is really happening outside my own little world. And to be honest... the view from outside my little world... is amazing me more and more everyday. Sometimes, you have to have heart break, to have your eyes opened.
I never want to close my eyes again.
This morning, we were going over the price for the uniforms, which is actually double what we thought it would be. However, we ARE going to provide all of those students with a uniform. God will provide, as always. I was kind of discouraged by the fact that the price was so much higher than we had been told, but we do have enough.
After Kelsey and I finished our last class, we were relaxing in the office waiting for lunch, when Christine, a teacher at the school, asked us to help her escort the younger children home (the nursery children leave before lunch). So, Kelsey and I agreed to come with her. We had NO idea what we were about to see.
First of all, many of these children walk for MILES just to come to school. As Christine led us up and down the red dirt streets, i was heart broken by some of the things I saw. Families living in houses the size of a typical american pantry, children running in the streets(some not fully clothed), sick parents, and some of those parents are home alone with 2 or 3 sick children as well. Kelsey and I were introduced to a mother caring for her son, who had fallen ill with Malaria (VERY serious disease, for those of you who don't know). Not only was she caring for her son, but she has 3 other children that she is currently putting through school (i saw no father, which is not uncommon in Uganda). As we walked upto her home, she was giving her son a bath, in what seemed like water, also with some kind of green leaves (For the record, i have absolutely no idea what was in that water). Christine asked me to take a picture of the mother and her son, so the mother quickly dressed her son, who was still covered in the green leaves, and I took the picture. And before we turned to leave, i went to the mother, and said "I pray that your son is healed, soon." She smiled, thanked us for blessing her home, and we left.
As we were walking down the street, I asked Christine how many children in that are were sick. She said that there were about 15 children who were currently ill... and all of them, with Malaria.
My heart is still breaking. I can't get those images out of my head. Children on the side of the road, alone. Girls in uniforms, walking with big jugs of water (for their school). Mothers caring for their sick children, while they are probably sick themselves!!! This is so hard for me to write about, and i'm crying right now. But, I guess you could say that's how i know this is real. And one thing that makes me cheer up a little (and hopefully it'll brighten your day), is that even through sickness, and poverty, and not knowing where their next meal is coming from (if they even have one)... these people have HOPE! And let me tell you, these people know hope. They LIVE, and BREATHE, and fight to make it through the day, because of HOPE. And it's the best kind of hope. It's hope, in Jesus. They have hope, and FAITH, that he will provide, and he will heal, and he will deliver them from their pain and suffering. And you know why they have so much hope and faith? Because the hope and faith that they have in our God, is the only thing they have!
I'm sitting here now, writing this. And i'm reminded of how blessed I am. When i come home everyday, i know that i'll have food to eat for dinner. I know, that i'll be able to shower, and sleep in a nice warm bed. I know, that i'll be able to have clean, cold water to drink. But you know what... the people I met today, can't always say that. When I go home after these last 5 1/2 weeks end, I'll be coming home to Thanksgiving. And let me tell you, I now know how much I really have to be THANKFUL for. Clothes, food, a house, a bed, clean water, medicine, cars, air conditioning... But let me tell you this. I'm also going to come back with a deaper understanding of how these people live. I thought i knew how they lived, because i had some memories of my last trip. But God brought me here again, to open my eyes, to what is really happening outside my own little world. And to be honest... the view from outside my little world... is amazing me more and more everyday. Sometimes, you have to have heart break, to have your eyes opened.
I never want to close my eyes again.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
How great is our god!!!
One thing that I find absolutely amazing, is that God works in ways that I never would've thought possible. When I was raising the funds needed to come on this trip, people kept donating more andymore, to the point where I was almost $1000 dollars over what I needed. And i thought to myself, "why on earth is God giving me so much extra money?" But you know what... it was, in no way, extra money.
A few days back, Kelsey and I were sitting on the front steps of the church, talking with some of the school children, when Prossy, a 10 year old girl, asked me if I would buy her a uniform. You see, uniforms here are a luxury, in which most families can't afford. My heart broke as i told that young girl that i couldnt buy her a uniform. What I didn't know, is that God had a plan... as always.
Later that same day, Kelsey asked Joshua, the headmaster, how much the uniforms actually cost. And to our surprise, it was 15,000 shillings for the girls, and 18,000 shillings for the boys. 15,000 is equal to roughly 6 american dollars, and 18,000 shillings is equal to roughly 8 american dollars. That is nothing to us, but to these families, theres a very small chance of them being able to afford it. But Kelsey was DETERMINED to buy some of those kids uniforms... let me rephrase that... she wanted to buy ALL of the kids uniforms! Honestly, i didnt think it could be done. But we counted the number of students, and we were shocked to find that there werent nearly as many children as we thought. So we added up the total amount, and as the final numbers came up on my calculator, i thought to myself, "i must be doing the math wrong." I mean, it didnt seem possible that we could afford to buy uniforms for all the students from P1 to P4, for just over $200!!!! We quickly ran into the living room to have my paps double check my math, and it wasnt wrong! For just over $200, we could buy about 38 students uniforms,that they otherwise couldn't have. And that's not even counting the little kids! I am seriously amazed by this!
As I was getting ready for bed last night, i was looking in the mirror, almost in tears at the idea that Kelsey and I are gonna show up at that school in a few weeks, and see all of those children wearing their school's uniforms. And then i realized something, that literally made me say "how great is our God!" I realized, that this wasnt my doing, or Kelsey's doing, or even my Grandparents doing! This is all God. This is all his plan. He knew from the very begining that our money was going to go towards helping those kids!
I want to thank each and everyone of you who donated. Not only did it help get me here, but you have helped provide uniforms for over 60 children! You really have helped a lot! Please keep those prayer coming! And don't forget... Our God, works in AMAZING ways!
God bless you all! - Taylor Fletcher
A few days back, Kelsey and I were sitting on the front steps of the church, talking with some of the school children, when Prossy, a 10 year old girl, asked me if I would buy her a uniform. You see, uniforms here are a luxury, in which most families can't afford. My heart broke as i told that young girl that i couldnt buy her a uniform. What I didn't know, is that God had a plan... as always.
Later that same day, Kelsey asked Joshua, the headmaster, how much the uniforms actually cost. And to our surprise, it was 15,000 shillings for the girls, and 18,000 shillings for the boys. 15,000 is equal to roughly 6 american dollars, and 18,000 shillings is equal to roughly 8 american dollars. That is nothing to us, but to these families, theres a very small chance of them being able to afford it. But Kelsey was DETERMINED to buy some of those kids uniforms... let me rephrase that... she wanted to buy ALL of the kids uniforms! Honestly, i didnt think it could be done. But we counted the number of students, and we were shocked to find that there werent nearly as many children as we thought. So we added up the total amount, and as the final numbers came up on my calculator, i thought to myself, "i must be doing the math wrong." I mean, it didnt seem possible that we could afford to buy uniforms for all the students from P1 to P4, for just over $200!!!! We quickly ran into the living room to have my paps double check my math, and it wasnt wrong! For just over $200, we could buy about 38 students uniforms,that they otherwise couldn't have. And that's not even counting the little kids! I am seriously amazed by this!
As I was getting ready for bed last night, i was looking in the mirror, almost in tears at the idea that Kelsey and I are gonna show up at that school in a few weeks, and see all of those children wearing their school's uniforms. And then i realized something, that literally made me say "how great is our God!" I realized, that this wasnt my doing, or Kelsey's doing, or even my Grandparents doing! This is all God. This is all his plan. He knew from the very begining that our money was going to go towards helping those kids!
I want to thank each and everyone of you who donated. Not only did it help get me here, but you have helped provide uniforms for over 60 children! You really have helped a lot! Please keep those prayer coming! And don't forget... Our God, works in AMAZING ways!
God bless you all! - Taylor Fletcher
Saturday, October 6, 2012
1 week down, 6 to go!
Well, finally made it through our first week of teaching the children. I'm not gonna lie, it's challenging. The language barrier is probably the hardest part. Even though they speak english, its hard for them to understand us. We try to ask them a question, and they simply repeat whatever we said. But even though we face challenges on this trip, i'm just so thankful to be here. And the children seem to really enjoy having us here. Every morning when we arive at the school, they start screaming "Mzoongoo! Mzoongoo!" or sometimes "Teacher! Teacher!" And as soon as we get out of the car, they run to us, wanting to carry our stuff for us. These children never cease to amaze me! They will follow us everywhere, and they like to touch us to see if our white skin will rub off, and they go crazy when we give them treats! But more than anything, they love learning about Jesus. We've tought them the lyrics to "Jesus loves me" and "Jesus loves the little children", and they love it! They want to sing it all the time. And when we hand out the bible story books we brought, they just love to flip through it and look at the colorful pictures! It really does amaze them!
Its really hard for me to believe the first week has already come and gone. I guess that's just what happens when you're having fun. Before i know it, we'll be getting on a plane to head back to Kentucky! Even though 6 weeks seems like a long time now, it'll go by so fast. I'm just so grateful for this opportunity to return to Uganda, and spread the word of God to these people. They are in my heart, and always on my mind, and still will be even after these 6 weeks come to an end.
Its really hard for me to believe the first week has already come and gone. I guess that's just what happens when you're having fun. Before i know it, we'll be getting on a plane to head back to Kentucky! Even though 6 weeks seems like a long time now, it'll go by so fast. I'm just so grateful for this opportunity to return to Uganda, and spread the word of God to these people. They are in my heart, and always on my mind, and still will be even after these 6 weeks come to an end.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Greetings from Uganda
Right now, i'm sitting in Jinja Uganda. The window is open, which allows the cool air to blow in and make me feel nice and cozy. We've been here for about 1 week now, and things are going really well. Tuesday was an absolutely wonderful day! As soon as we arrived at the school, we jumped right into playing with the kids. They love the beach ball we brought (unfortunetly a little boy bit a hole in it, so we're gonna try and find a new one). They love to hit it around, and throw it to their friends. And they love jump rope too!
Yesterday as we we're doing a physical education class with some of the kids, i saw a girl standing by a near by tree. She doesnt understand much English, she doesnt go to school, but she loves to play. She played monkey in the middle with us, and she jumped rope with some of the other girls. I eventually learned her name, but i dont remember it. I was hoping she would've showed up again today, but she didn't. I wish i could've given her a piece of candy, or a bracelet, or something... but i trust God, and I know he will have his way in that young girls life.
I'm going outta my mind right now, and it feels good. I like the fact that these children challenge me. Even though im tired at the end of the day, and even though many things are different, i wouldn't have it any other way.
If theres one thing i want to do on this trip, i want the children to know true love. I want them to know Jesus.
Love is Patient. Love is Kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, It is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS.
- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Yesterday as we we're doing a physical education class with some of the kids, i saw a girl standing by a near by tree. She doesnt understand much English, she doesnt go to school, but she loves to play. She played monkey in the middle with us, and she jumped rope with some of the other girls. I eventually learned her name, but i dont remember it. I was hoping she would've showed up again today, but she didn't. I wish i could've given her a piece of candy, or a bracelet, or something... but i trust God, and I know he will have his way in that young girls life.
I'm going outta my mind right now, and it feels good. I like the fact that these children challenge me. Even though im tired at the end of the day, and even though many things are different, i wouldn't have it any other way.
If theres one thing i want to do on this trip, i want the children to know true love. I want them to know Jesus.
Love is Patient. Love is Kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, It is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS.
- 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Friday, June 15, 2012
Dream Big, Praise Him, and SHINE!!!!
Today, I started thinking
about a girl I knew in 7th grade. She was always really mean to me,
and I never understood why. Anyway, her insults and put downs made me feel so
low, and worthless… I didn’t know what to do. I was really insecure, and my
confidence dropped more and more everyday. I was just tired of putting up with
her.
Eventually, things started
getting better, but I was still upset. But today, I watched a video of Taylor
Swift, and one of the lines in her song, was:
“Don’t you worry your
pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that SHINE!!!”
I started thinking, maybe
I’ll never know WHY she said the things she did, but I realized that I was
looking at it the wrong way. Yes, bullying is wrong, and very serious, and NO,
nothing will ever excuse the things she said, but I’ve spent almost 3 years
being too mad at her to move on... that’s just wrong!!! God says to forgive,
and until now, I haven’t been WILLING to forgive her.
Since I started
homeschooling, my perspective has changed a lot. It wasn’t just that one girl
who made me insecure. There were a lot of things that broke me down. But now, I’ve
changed my way of thinking. God has revealed himself to me in MANY ways in the
last few years. I’ve made new friends, I’ve tried new things, I’ve gotten out
of my comfort zone, and I’ve learned how to dream again. During the time where
I felt lost, and alone… I forgot how to dream. All I ever thought about was how
sad I was. But once things started getting better, I remembered how much I
liked being a teenager, and how much I loved life. Now, I dream BIG!!
Overall, I’ve learned that
it’s true… People DO throw rocks at things that shine. Yes, I’m different from
most girls my age. But I have Jesus on my side… and I live for him. Not for the
approval from people of this life. This is all just temporary. I’m choosing to
shine for someone that really cares about me… because although there are people
who don’t like me, this man, thinks I’m to DIE FOR!!! I’m choosing to SHINE for
JESUS!!!
So yeah, people will try
to get into my mind, and they’ll try to mess with me, and they’ll try to break
me down… but they WON’T succeed. So join me! Together, we’ll dream big!
Together, we’ll praise Jesus, the man who died for us. Together… we’ll SHINE!!!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Until the whole world hears!
Think about something really important to you. Think about something you couldn't live without. I bet 60% of you are thinking about your iPhone, your boyfriend/girlfriend, or your favorite sport... am I right? You see, that's the thing. It's not supposed to be that way. I'm not trying to lecture anyone, because I'm the exact same way. We are so wrapped up in worldly things these days, that we are going day by day without focusing on the important things. Like, God.
Now, stay with me here. Really hear me out on this. What if we treated God the same way we treat our favorite sports? Like, when you stand up and start cheering when a football star makes a touch down... what if we stood up and started cheering when God scores a touch down (which, by the way, is every single day)?
What if we treated our bible the way we treat our phones? What if we turned around to get it if we forgot it? What if we didn't go anywhere without it? What if we had trouble putting it down?
You see, that's just it. We as Christians are supposed to lead a good example for people... not be hypocrites. We can be "Good Christians" in Church, but then when we step outside those walls, its back to normal. Guys... its NOT supposed to be that way!!!!!
Starting today, I want us to all try something:
1. I want us to all put God FIRST!!!
2. I want us to make loving God a must!!!
3. I want us to sing God's name until the whole world hears!!!
Hold on, go back to number 3. Are you with me on this? Think about it, how amazing is it that we can tell the WHOLE world, that God is OURS, and that he can be theirs too... do you get it? Its not about us, or the worldy possesions we thrive on... its about HIM!!!
Think about it... and just do it... SING HIS NAME...
UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD HEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, stay with me here. Really hear me out on this. What if we treated God the same way we treat our favorite sports? Like, when you stand up and start cheering when a football star makes a touch down... what if we stood up and started cheering when God scores a touch down (which, by the way, is every single day)?
What if we treated our bible the way we treat our phones? What if we turned around to get it if we forgot it? What if we didn't go anywhere without it? What if we had trouble putting it down?
You see, that's just it. We as Christians are supposed to lead a good example for people... not be hypocrites. We can be "Good Christians" in Church, but then when we step outside those walls, its back to normal. Guys... its NOT supposed to be that way!!!!!
Starting today, I want us to all try something:
1. I want us to all put God FIRST!!!
2. I want us to make loving God a must!!!
3. I want us to sing God's name until the whole world hears!!!
Hold on, go back to number 3. Are you with me on this? Think about it, how amazing is it that we can tell the WHOLE world, that God is OURS, and that he can be theirs too... do you get it? Its not about us, or the worldy possesions we thrive on... its about HIM!!!
Think about it... and just do it... SING HIS NAME...
UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD HEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Ask a friend to join you on your next voyage...
Since the last time I wrote, a lot has happened. I am definetly going to Africa this fall, but not only that, but my best friend, Kelsey, is also coming! We laugh about how this all came to be.
(FLASHBACK)
Kelsey and I are both on our youth praise team, and one day at practice, the Africa subject came up. She said "I want to go!" I thought it was awesome that she wanted to come, so I said that she should come with me. Well, I didn't think much else about it, until 2 days later, when my mom and I were eating at Super China Buffet. As usual, we were fighting over our fortune cookies. I grabbed one, and claimed it. She said "You open that, and you'll see that it's for me". I opened it, and here is what it said...
"ASK A FRIEND TO JOIN YOU ON YOUR NEXT VOYAGE"
I froze. My mom was asking me what it said. When I told her, she didn't quite understand. Once I told her about Kelsey wanting to go to Africa... it all made since. I told Kelsey about the fortune cookie that night, and she said... "DUDE! IT'S A SIGN!" And it was!
This will be the most special trip ever for me. Not only because I get to spend 6 weeks doing what I love, but also because I get to spend it with an amazing girl, who is like a sister to me.
Please pray for Kelsey, my Grandparents, and I, as we travel to Uganda this fall. I really do appreciate it :)
God Bless,
Taylor
(FLASHBACK)
Kelsey and I are both on our youth praise team, and one day at practice, the Africa subject came up. She said "I want to go!" I thought it was awesome that she wanted to come, so I said that she should come with me. Well, I didn't think much else about it, until 2 days later, when my mom and I were eating at Super China Buffet. As usual, we were fighting over our fortune cookies. I grabbed one, and claimed it. She said "You open that, and you'll see that it's for me". I opened it, and here is what it said...
"ASK A FRIEND TO JOIN YOU ON YOUR NEXT VOYAGE"
I froze. My mom was asking me what it said. When I told her, she didn't quite understand. Once I told her about Kelsey wanting to go to Africa... it all made since. I told Kelsey about the fortune cookie that night, and she said... "DUDE! IT'S A SIGN!" And it was!
This will be the most special trip ever for me. Not only because I get to spend 6 weeks doing what I love, but also because I get to spend it with an amazing girl, who is like a sister to me.
Please pray for Kelsey, my Grandparents, and I, as we travel to Uganda this fall. I really do appreciate it :)
God Bless,
Taylor
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Lately, i've been thinking about some of the moments in my life that have made big impacts on me. Like, moving from one end of the state to the other when I was 7, or going to Crosspoint Christian Camp when I was in 6th grade, or going to the "Believe" confrence when I was a 7th Grader. But there was one memory that was huge for me, and no, it wasn't Africa, although that is a big one. But no, i'm talking about last summer, when me and my church youth group went to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for KHO (Kentucky Heartland Outreach). At first, I didn't want to go. I kept hearing that you had to get up early, and work hard all day in the hot sun, and you only got 3 minute showers everyday, and other stuff that made me want to stay as far away from that trip as possible.
1 week before the trip, we were taking my sister to the church for her summer camp, and me and my youth leader started talking about KHO. She asked me if I was going, and I said no. She looked at me and said, "If you want to, you can still go. There are a few more spots open, and we'd love for you to come. I'm not going to lie, its a lot of work. BUT ITS WORTH IT!"
Something about the way she said that made me decide to go. So a week later, I left... and it changed my life forever. When we got there, we were assigned to teams, and I ended up on a roofing team. I nearly freaked out at the thought of getting up on a roof. I can barely go on a big rollar coaster without sitting in the middle with my seat belt on so tight I can hardly breathe! But anyway, we started early the next day, and it wasn't so bad. I stayed on the ground the entire time, and I cleaned up the old shingles. It was a lot of work, but someone had to do it.
I'll skip ahead to our last full day working. It was the craziest. We were standing behind the house with the deck team, about to take a group picture. I gave my Aunt my camera, and stood against the house with everyone else. What I didn't realize, was she had it on video, and caught everything on tape. She counted to 3, and all of a sudden, one of the guys on our team who was on the roof, poured a big bucket of ice cold water all over my head! I started screaming. Of course, everyone else took pictures, and I was standing there soaking wet. And not only was it not sunny outside that day, but it was cloudy and windy too. I was FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll never forget that week at KHO. And I plan to go back this Summer. It was life changing <3
1 week before the trip, we were taking my sister to the church for her summer camp, and me and my youth leader started talking about KHO. She asked me if I was going, and I said no. She looked at me and said, "If you want to, you can still go. There are a few more spots open, and we'd love for you to come. I'm not going to lie, its a lot of work. BUT ITS WORTH IT!"
Something about the way she said that made me decide to go. So a week later, I left... and it changed my life forever. When we got there, we were assigned to teams, and I ended up on a roofing team. I nearly freaked out at the thought of getting up on a roof. I can barely go on a big rollar coaster without sitting in the middle with my seat belt on so tight I can hardly breathe! But anyway, we started early the next day, and it wasn't so bad. I stayed on the ground the entire time, and I cleaned up the old shingles. It was a lot of work, but someone had to do it.
I'll skip ahead to our last full day working. It was the craziest. We were standing behind the house with the deck team, about to take a group picture. I gave my Aunt my camera, and stood against the house with everyone else. What I didn't realize, was she had it on video, and caught everything on tape. She counted to 3, and all of a sudden, one of the guys on our team who was on the roof, poured a big bucket of ice cold water all over my head! I started screaming. Of course, everyone else took pictures, and I was standing there soaking wet. And not only was it not sunny outside that day, but it was cloudy and windy too. I was FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll never forget that week at KHO. And I plan to go back this Summer. It was life changing <3
Sunday, February 19, 2012
What I'm about...
This is my first blog, and I want to get this right. So, i've decited that my first post is going to explain what my blog is all about. It's all about taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone. That's my goal everyday of my life. I am a christian, and I have had the chance to take the ULTIMATE mission trip. I've been to Uganda, Africa. It was an amazing journey. And i am very excited, because i will be returning this year for 6 weeks. I plan to keep updating my blog until i leave, and hopefully i'll be able to update it while i'm there. I'll post more later. :)
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