Farewell to Uganda, Hello Rwanda

Hello everyone!

Sorry I haven't updated my blog in a while! I promise I will try my hardest to get better at it!

I have been in Uganda for a little over five weeks now and have fallen in love with this place. As I prepare to leave for Rwanda tomorrow, I am so excited yet sad that I am leaving this place. I have made so many memories here and have become so comfortable. It will be difficult to get to know a new place again but I am so excited. I have a feeling that as I cross the border into Rwanda I might freak out a little bit. My dream to live in Rwanda is coming true and I am so excited for what God has planned for me in that country.

The past five weeks have been the greatest. I don't think I have ever been this happy and know that I am where God is calling me to be at this point in my life. I have had so many amazing opportunity's and after only 5 weeks, i know that I am forever changed. I can't wait to see what the next 5 months hold! Classes have ended which is a major relief. They were stressful towards the end, trying to fit a semester of classes into 5 weeks means a lot of homework! But i made it through and loved the classes. I can't wait to take the next two classes in Rwanda.

Instead of explaining everything that I have done the past month, I figured I would share just a few meaningful moments that I have had. For everything that I have done, my pictures on facebook are a great way to see! I think I have taken pictures of just about everything!

One of the greatest weekends I have had so far was towards the middle of my time here when I went to a rural village with my cornerstone assistant, Fred. Susan, Rob, and I were all greeted with open arms and even huge hugs by all of the kids of the village. Fred's family was so welcoming, especially his sister Jane who is my age. Throughout the weekend she would constantly tell us that we helped her dream of having white friends come true. She was so excited and was so welcoming. Also, Fred's little sister Farida was the sweetest little girl. Along with Farida, we were occupied all weekend by all of the kids of the village and I couldn't have been happier. Fred wanted us to experience as much as possible in one weekend so we got to go to a rock quarry, kill and eat a chicken, watch a pig give birth to 14 piglets, milk a cow, explore the village, learn about the garden that they grow all of their food in, and many other things. It was an amazing weekend. I learned that time and money are not important here like it is in America. They are not focused on getting to places on time and it felt as if time and money didn't even exist. Instead, it is all about the community and spending time with friends and family. It has been so moving to see the importance that community instead of independence has on this culture. It is going to be so difficult coming back to the states where time and money mean everything! It has taught me to slow down and value the time that I have been given and to not worry about what is to come next but to just sit and take it all in.

Last week I had the chance to go to a home for street boys and help out. I had no idea what I was in for and didn't realize that this would be the greatest day for me in Uganda. A former student of Go-Ed has started this ministry here called Perfect Injustice Ministries which is a ministry for boys who are living on the streets of Kampala. Most have no family and those that do have been abused or their families could not support them so they have run away from home. The home houses boys ranging from ages 5-16. In the actual house their are about 15 boys who live here and then there are about 50 boys who sleep in a church that partners with the ministry. Now when I say church, I mean 4 posts with a tin roof and tin on two sides and two sides exposed, and a dirt ground. These boys sleep here every night with just a blanket on the ground. When the boys are living on the streets, they go to sleep at night with the fear of being kidnapped or raped, so sleeping in this church with a security guard allows them to go to sleep at night knowing they are safe. Throughout the week, there are programs for all of the boys and a meal each day for them all. When we arrived, we were embraced with hugs and all of the kids loved our cameras so we took plenty of pictures with them. We got to play soccer, dance and sing, and just hang out with all of the kids. One of my favorite moments was when 3 little boys that were sitting on our laps started singing all of the worship songs they knew, including "I have decided to follow Jesus" and "Trading my Sorrows." It was so amazing to watch these young boys worship God with all of their hearts.

While I was listening to these songs, One boy reached out his hand and gave me a necklace. I was taken by surprise because I did not even see him sitting there. I took the necklace and went to sit by this boy to thank him for my necklace. Because most of the kids could not speak English, I assumed that this boy couldn't speak English either so I continued to record the other kids singing the worship songs. He then looked at me and asked "Can you record me singing a song?" I was shocked because I had been sitting by him for a while now and he spoke English the whole time. So i recorded him singing a song and my heart broke. To summarize the lyrics he basically sang "I have no home, I have no dad, I have no mom, I have no brothers or sisters, I have no school, I have no one. How did I get this way and am so alone?" When he finished the song I didn't know what to say. After gathering myself quickly, I began to talk to this boy and learned his story. His name is Joseph and he is 13 years old. He has been living at the home for two years now and has no one. His mom and dad died when he was young so he has had to live on his own for most of his life on the streets. He found the home and has found a church down the road where he has started to sing in the choir and is helping to lead worship on Sundays. I had a long conversation with Joseph about how he has been given many gifts and even though he has had a rough past he is in a great place now and has his whole future in front of him to do good. It was so amazing to be able to just sit and talk to Joseph while so many kids were playing around us. It was as if no one was around as he told me his story. I continue to think to myself, what if I had ignored him and continued playing with the younger children? I could have missed the opportunity to talk to this boy and because of his story and the 45 minutes with him I will never be the same. How many times do we ignore those around us and miss the opportunities that God has set before us? I ask that you keep Joseph in your prayers along with the 50 other boys that are at this home, and also to pray for all of those missed opportunities and remember to keep your eyes open for what God has planned, because on so many occasions our eyes are shut and we miss those small opportunities that can change your life.

Like I stated earlier, I have done so many things since I got here 5 weeks ago and can't believe I am already moving again! I found out a few days ago that when I finish classes in Rwanda I will be working at a large Anglican Church in Kigali. I don't know all of the details yet because the pastor wants to meet with me when I get there and see what I am personally interested in. A few options for me are doing reconciliation work, writing Sunday school curriculum and teaching it, and some other things but I am not sure yet! I will keep everyone posted! I am so excited. This is exactly what I wanted to do and I know God is going to do some amazing things through this internship!

Well I am off to Rwanda but stay tuned for stories of the Safari! I'd say a week of a safari and moving to Rwanda makes for one great week! Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I continue on this journey!

Also, best wishes at Madhouse this weekend! I am so sad that I am missing it but can't wait to see pictures! I know it will be great! And Happy Birthday to two great friends, Ally and Mitchell! Hope ya'll have had 2 great birthdays!!

Safari here I come :)

Love you all!!
-Emily

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention... I went bungee jumping over the Nile River and it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!

Welcome Alivia Grace Mink!!

I am so excited to welcome precious Alivia Grace!

I am so sad that I am not home right now but am so happy and excited for Bart and Mana. I woke up this morning telling everyone here that i had a feeling Alivia would come today so I have been glued to my computer all day waiting to hear the news and what do you know! She was born this afternoon at 6lbs. 6oz. and is the most perfect baby i have ever seen!

To Bart and Mana: I Love You both SO much and am so happy for you! I wish i could be there to meet her in person but Aunt Ally will bring skype soon!I love you and I know this is the greatest day so enjoy it and I will talk to you soon! And give Alivia lots of kisses for me! Love you all!!!!

More to come about my weekend in Africa tomorrow! It has definitely been an intersting one so stay tuned!

Prayer

What can I say? My first weekend in Kampala has definitely been an interesting one! I awoke Saturday morning to a crazy thunderstorm that sounded like it was going to wash the house away yet was comforting at the same time. You know you are in Uganda when it storms like crazy and instead of worrying about other things you think "Yay, One cool day without dirt flying in my eyes and we get to play in the rain!" This was of course my reaction as i prepared for the day. Class was cancelled that morning so I was able to sleep in and relax throughout the morning, which included a little reading and the amazing fresh pineapple that we have each morning.

As the day went on, I went to class which was an interesting discussion/ debate on the book Things Fall Apart. We read a poem that really stuck out to me so i will post it soon for everyone else to read! I just don't have it with me right now! Once class was over we walked back to the house and as soon as I walked in the house I knew it wouldn't be a good night. We were having fish for dinner and it was strong. For those of you who don't know, I am highly allergic to fish and can't be around it at all! So, I went upstairs to refrain from the fish smell until dinner was ready and then made myself a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich and stayed upstairs for the rest of the night. Now keep in mind, this is a Friday night in Uganda when everyone goes out. Because of the fish smell, My chest started to hurt really bad and i ended up taking benedryl and going to bed at 8 'o clock. My first stage of homesickness kicked in because when I feel bad there is nothing better than staying at home and sleeping in my own bed all day. But at least I got a good night's rest for what was to come the next morning!

On Saturday morning, I awoke bright and early to prepare for something that no one is able to prepare for. We were told to be ready by 9am because students from Cornerstone University here in Uganda were coming to take us around the city and teach us how to use the Matatu's which are the taxi's that seat about 15 people. My cornerstone assistant was the first to arrive. Fred (my assistant) was so welcoming. We got into our groups and learned more about the Matatu Challenge for the day. Fred was going to teach us how to ride the Matatu and take us to the Owino Market... I was so nervous for what the day was to bring.

My first experience on the Matatu wasn't actually that bad because Fred payed and told us everything we were suppose to do, including where to get off! The Matatu was packed with i think 16 people when it was a little bigger than a mini van. I am not going to lie, I was hanging on for dear life as we flew over potholes and in and out of cars, then the driver would slam his breaks on to let someone out as boda bodas (or motorcycles) would maneuver there way through all of the traffic. Keep inmind there are absolutely no traffic laws so you drive wherever you feel like it... If someone is going slow it is perfectly fine to pass them and just stay on the other side until another car is coming at you head on! It is the craziest thing I have ever expereinced.

Once we finally arrived at the Owino market, I was in complete shock through the whole tour. Thousands of people swarmed through tiny isles that went on for miles haggling and buying everything imaginable, from raw meat and vegetables, to clothes and any electronic possible, and i cant even think of other things it was so crazy. I found it really interesting that one station just had huge bags of everything that you could buy for 10,000 shillings which is about 5 US dollars. You do not know what is in the bag when you buy it but most people just hope for the best and set up their own stand in the market and sell everything that they just bought, hoping to make a profit. The smells were so overwhelming in a few areas that I almost couldn't stand it. In the food area the smells of rotten fruit mixed with fish and raw meat and peanuts just didnt mix well together for my nose. As we made our way through the market, I found myself scared at some points but Fred was very protective of the 2 girls and made Rob walk behind us to make sure nothing happened to us. As we attempted to make our way through the mud and crazy crowd, I was proposed to at least 3 times, had at the minimum 5 men grab my arm and say "So beautiful, marry me, so cute" and many other things, and probably heard Muzungu yelled at me probably 50 thousand times. It was a very overwhelming experience. I even found myself falling asleep that night with nightmares from the crazy day. Little to say that will remain a one time experience! Also, I have already realized that when I get back to the states I will probably call everyone a Muzungu for a while because I have found myself doing it so much here when I see another white person... so be prepared!

After we finally made our way out of the market the day turned out to be even more interesting. It was still overwhelming as Fred showed us around downtown Kampala as people crowded the trash filled streets trying to make a living off of selling peanuts and candy. I even saw one man selling passports! My heart then grew very heavy as I saw the faces of poverty first hand. There were countless amounts of young children sitting on the streets.. ranging from ages 1-5 with absolutely nothing but there hands held out hoping that someone would give them something to eat. As I watched the hundreds of people just walk by and act like the children are invisible, my heart broke and I began to think about all of the children in the world who are starving yet thousands of people just walk by and ignore them. It has had me thinking about the poverty here in Uganda and around Africa and I thought, if every person who walks by and almost walks over these children everyday gave 500 shillings (which is not even 25 cents in the US), what would downtown Kampala look like? I also found myself struggling with this idea because it becomes hard to know when to give and when not to give, but what if we even prayed for these children? What could happen? So I am asking everyone back home to just pray. For the people of Uganda and the children that fill the streets, just hoping that someone will stop and give them something small to eat. "For the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." -James 5:16

Saturday was definitely a day of heavy hearts and I know that as these next 6 months continue I will be faced with many questions and experiences such as these so i ask, Just pray.

Thanks! More to come about the weekend soon! I am playing catch up from not having internet for a few days!

Love you all!

Oh! And Rob bought a chicken at the market! Here is a picture of Rob, Fred, and Janet!

Hello from Uganda!!

As i prepared to leave for Kampala, Uganda and Kigali, Rwanda for 6 months, I was completely unaware of what was to come in my future. Last Wednesday, I said bye to my family and friends and flew to Phoenix, Arizona to meet the other students that I will be with for a 3 day orientation to prepare us before we left for Africa. I don't think I have ever experienced so many emotions in a 24 hour period of time. I was sad from saying bye to my family and friends, excited that my dream to go to Rwanda was finally happening, nervous for the trip ahead, anxious to meet the people that I will spend the next 6 months with, and many other feelings. It has now been a week since I left home and I have absolutely fallen in love with this continent.

We arrived in Enteebe, Uganda late Sunday night (or early Sunday morning for those of you in the states!). As I stepped off the plane the smells of Africa overtook me and I knew I was in the right place. Like the rest of the group, I was extremely nervous to see if our luggage had made it with us so after we easily made it through customs we awaited at the coke-a-cola covered baggage area only to find every ones luggage! Praise God! We then had to load all of the luggage into a rugged bus to travel to Kampala where we will be staying for the next 5 weeks. As we pulled into our compound, i thought to myself... is this really where I am staying? Am I really in Africa?

I have learned that our perceptions of Africa in America are nothing like what it is really like. I am living in an amazing house, with amazing food, the best fruit i have ever had, clean water, and yes, an endless supply of toilet paper! It is frequently said around the house how spoiled everyone feels! We have the greatest staff who take care of us and they Our cook, Grace, is the sweetest woman and makes great food... including many American meals such as pork and mashed potatoes! Yum! Our housekeeper, Howa, is so friendly and is willing to do anything for us! I have found myself telling her many times that i can out up my own shoes when i walk in! Along with Grace and Howa, we have 4 awesome security guards who make sure we are safe all the time. It is so great to see them smile and talk to them each morning as we leave for class. I feel so blessed and am so thankful to each and every person here who are working to make this a great experience!

As many know, while I am in Uganda I will be in class and then after 5 weeks will travel to Rwanda to take 4 weeks of class and then to start my internship which I should find out soon what i will be doing! Class started on Tuesday morning so we woke up bright and early, ate breakfast, took a first day of school picture like in kindergarten, and began a journey that we were not prepared for to class. The walk to class reminded me of when grandparents say "back in my day, we had to walk 5 miles to school in the freezing cold!" This is definitely what our experience is like everyday... a 2o minute walk completely uphill in the blazing heat. I was very discourged at first when i realized what each day would look like. Little to say, i will definitely be in shape when i get home! However, all of my doubts about class were soon gone once we reached the top of the hill to realize that our class is at a resort looking over all of Kampala. It is the most amazing view and feel so blessed to be able to sit in class and look over God's beautiful creation as i learn about this continent and country. Despite the long walk and heat, the walk is completely worth it. Not only is there an amazing view, but a pool that we get to swim in between and after class each day! Heck yes!

Besides class, this week has been spent getting over jet-lag, exploring the city, and lots of reading! Today is my first free day that I have had since I arrived in Phoenix so it has been spent relaxing, shopping, and exploring! I was able to try my first authentic African dish at a restaurant called the Ethiopian Village Restaurant and i must say, I am glad we have a cook here! I got to experience Uganda's signature food Injera, which is a supposed bread but really it tasted like a sponge to me. But hey, at least it was an experience and I am welcome to all experiences! This dish was the first to many of new meals to try in the future!

As we walked around town today, I was greeted by many Bagandan's (which is the term for the people of Uganda). We accidentally took a wrong turn and wondered down a dirtg road that was full of little shops and homes of the community. I was in a world that was unknown to me as i walked down this street and heard "Mzungu! Mzungu!" which means white person. I am in a place where i get the double-take after every person i pass and all of the children run outside to greet me. I find comfort in this and know that God is going to work through me and in me in so many ways through these next 6 months. I am where I am suppose to be.

I ask that you please keep me in your prayers as I live in these two countries and i will try to keep you updated often!

I would love to hear from everyone and can be reached at McElroyEA@hendrix.edu and on my facebook! I will also post pictures frequently on facebook!

Love,

Emily