OPOYO!
Hello friends and family! Opollo is one of the greetings often used here in Lira, Uganda! My time here so far has been great, despite some minor setbacks in the beginning. When we first arrived (after 16 hours flying and a 9 hour bus ride), I was pretty much an emotional wreck. I just about cried three days straight and felt like I had no control over it whatsoever. This was just so unlike myself. I anticipated a little bit of homesickness and being overwhelmed from just adjusting/culture shock, but nothing like what I was feeling. Finally, I made the connection with the malaria pills and looked up the side effects. Sure enough, one of the side effects was severe emotional and mood changes. I stopped taking the pills right away and I was back to normal. While those three days were awful, the Lord answered a prayer in a way. I had been praying that the Lord would help me to be a team leader that was humble and didn’t just present a version of myself that had it all together. I wanted to be a leader who is relatable and creates space for people to be broken, real, and vulnerable. Considering I was a complete mess and all my emotions were on display for all to see already on the first day, God answered that prayer quickly!
While those first three days were difficult, the rest of my time here has been great! Our host family is so loving, welcoming, and hospitable! They go above and beyond to take care of us. We have been staying in their home on bunk beds enclosed by mosquito nets. We are definitely enjoying the beds while we can! Who knows when we will have to start whipping out the tents. While it is very hot here, the fan in our room brings us relief when the electricity is working. The electricity usually goes in and out a few times a day. Our bodies are starting to adjust to the food, which often consists of beans, posho (basically water and flower), starches, and every now and then meat. We are all plotting to kill the rooster that wakes us up early every morning to get some extra protein. For the times our body doesn’t agree with our meal, we have the squatty potty there waiting for us….. :). This is something we are also getting use to along with cold bucket showers! Surprisingly, I have enjoyed the cold showers because of the heat!
The people here are absolutely amazing! Everyone is so welcoming, hardworking, and full of joy. While they don’t have much, they are so generous and grateful for what they have! It has definitely been humbling. Every time we walk outside, we are greeted by tons of children ready to play! Whenever we go anywhere, all the kids shout “Munu” or “Muzungo”, meaning whites, and want to shake our hands.
This first week here in Lira, we have gotten to partner with Pastor Charles sharing testimonies and doing ministry at schools, prisons, and in various communities. One of my favorite parts of ministry is seeing the way their culture worships. I have never danced so much in my life! I need to work on my stamina so I can keep up with them. They have no reservations in expressing their love for the Lord and it is beautiful to watch. My favorite time of worship so far was at the prison. When we first walked in, all of the men just had such blank, emotionless looks on their face. However, once we brought out instruments to worship, it was like they all just came alive. Despite being imprisoned, they were so free. Many of the prisoners in Lira are actually innocent, but there due to corruption. I have also been able to share the gospel in ways I haven’t before and pray with people to accept Christ into their lives. God is definitely moving here in Lira, and I am excited to see what is still in store for the next few weeks!
P.S. I will post pictures on my next blog update- the internet connection is too weak right now.
Prayer Requests: My team has been experiencing a lot of physical issues with adjusting to the food/environment. One of my teammates already had malaria, but is back to good health. However, some have been experiencing hives, colds, fatigue, and diarrhea among other things. Pray for energy!
