This passed month was indescribable. To give you an idea, if the World Race told me that I would be spending the remaining 7 months of the Race IN Uganda, I would be MORE than excited about that. Our Ugandan family was incredible, the ministry we were a part of was awesome, and the celebrations of the season were unforgettable. I’m just not even sure what to write, but let me start with Christmas…
We started up a Pay Pal account and contacted some friends/family back home to fundraise for some Christmas gifts for 17 of our Ugandan family and friends. We went out into the market and bought Ugandan soccer jerseys, jeweled sandals, earrings, a replacement cell phone, dress shirts, and purses among other things, then wrapped them up, labeled them and couldn’t wait for them to be opened. Let me tell you that we spent about $80 (USD) out of pocket, not knowing how much would be in our Pay Pal account (if anything)…and at the end of the day when Asia checked, there was almost exactly $80 in that account. God had put it there before we even spent a shilling…
Christmas was so joyful. When we woke up, our team had made Christmas cards for each other, one of team mates had bought huge doughnuts for all of us the previous day and whipped them out for breakfast, plus our squad leader Clark who was with us cooked up some Starbucks we’d bought back in ‘Nam with his french press, and we had Josh Groban’s and Michael Buble’s Christmas albums taking turns playing! We did a lil white elephant gift exchange amongst ourselves, sang, danced and listened to Werness preach at church a few times that day and then the most exciting part of the day happened – gift opening! I have never seen such an exciting gift exchange. Everyone opened their gifts one by one and everyone else was literally cheering and out of their seats as they took their turn. I will never forget it!
New Years Eve was just as unforgetable. We had a big dance party at midnight at the church, followed by Clark preaching (and having everyone sing “happy birthday” to me as Betty picked me up like a baby and spun me around!), praying over congregation members, myself speaking a word of encouragement for a little while, and some people stepping up to the mic to sing. So we got home around 4:00 am! When we finally woke we did a combination of fun things for my birthday, I got to wear a princess birthday hat and received lovely cards and some thoughtful gifts – and I was so pleased to be sharing it with our Ugandan family.
I will never forget this month. How sweet Mama Beatrice is, how hilarious Pastor Joseph is and how he’d always wrestle his brother (Uncle) John (who has the most contagious laugh). I won’t forget their kids – Sarah (14), Sam (12), Sandra (9), Solomon (7), Sophie (4) and allll of their unbelieveable dance moves. I won’t forget their cousin Moses (22) who insisted we all take our tea, and if we didn’t he’d come looking for us. For Mathias (18) who would giggle nervously when you smiled at him but would command the room with this yelling/preacher voice when he started talking about God’s POWER. I won’t forget Betty (21) who helped the family out with cooking and cleaning, has such a good sense of humour and laughed uncontrolably when I was learning a traditional Ugandan dance from her.I won’t forget the neighbour Mushie (10) who was basically the head of his household, bathing his siblings, going to the well…so much responsibility but the most beautiful smile and joy you’ve seen. I won’t forget Ronnie (25) who insisted he couldn’t sing or dance but did both because we’d ask him to. I won’t forget his brothers Andrew (16) and Joshua (19), or his mother Robin who knew little English but loved us so evidently. I won’t forget Ronnie’s little son Isaac (2) who was so stubborn and a nuisance sometimes but had countless cute moments. And all of the other people we met along the way. I hope I can see them again some day…
This was the first painful goodbye to a country. Where when I said, “I will miss you so much,” and “I truly hope that God brings me back here sometime in the future,” I REALLY meant it. This family would say, “Welcome back!” with open arms when we would return from a 20 minute trip to buy some water. Sometimes I just imagine reuniting with them after a year or two, and I’m brought to tears just imagining how happy it would be. The theme of the month has been “celebrations.” Not only Christmas, New Years, mine/Werness’/Ronnie’s/Pastor Joesph’s birthdays…but just for an awesome year of 2014. For everything God has granted us. For life itself, because some of the people we met HAD only life itself to hold onto, but exuded the most joy I’ve ever seen.
Going into 2015, I’m determined to love people like the way I saw everyone this passed month love each other. It’s going to be hard to start off a new month after such an incredible one…to reinvest in a family, to pump out just as much energy, to know that the pain of leaving could be waiting at the end of January…but I know that God’s got it. He had me at the end of Vietnam, and He has me now. In the words of my team mate Asia, “New Year, New You.” Bring it 2015. I’m ready.
