Sorry I haven’t written yet, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. I’m still trying to process everything that has happened. I’ve also never traveled outside of the United States before, so being placed in the heart of Uganda has been difficult and outside of my comfort zone. However, it has been rewarding and I’ve learned so much already.
Two weeks ago I met my American teammates at JFK airport. It was overwhelming at first trying to remember all their names, but it’s so cool to think that the people I just met are going to become some of my best friends. Because we had a ten-hour layover in Cairo, Egypt, we had the option to take a free tour of the Giza Pyramids! We took a taxi and it was the scariest ride I’ve ever taken. There are no lanes, so people swerve all over the road. I’m still surprised we made it there without crashing! The Pyramids were breathtaking and I couldn’t believe we were standing right in front of them. It was such a cool experience. We ate lunch across the street from the Pyramids and then toured a few local shops before heading back to the airport to catch our flight to Uganda.
We got to Uganda around 4am (8pm EST). I couldn’t sleep on either flight because I was sick, so I was awake for over 48 hours. I was exhausted when we got to Uganda and it took me awhile to adjust to the time difference.
Our first week, we went through intense spiritual training in a village right outside of Kampala. It was an incredible experience to practice what we were learning in training in the community. It made living like Jesus practicable and tangible. I experienced culture shock for sure. But the Ugandan people are some of the nicest, most friendly people I have ever met. Walking down the street locals would smile and wave while street children would run after us shouting “Mzungu!” Strangers soon became friends as we sat outside their shops talking for hours.
After training, we headed to Jinga, Uganda for two days of rest. We camped at a place right on the Nile river. The first day we decided to go white water rafting down the Nile. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was in a raft with five others from my squad. When we went down the first rapid I thought we would have a fun, easy day. The second rapid was a different story. We went over one wave with no problem, then our boat went sideways and we crashed right into the next wave. We flipped and it felt like I was under the water for two minutes, but it was probably more like five seconds. We flipped once more before lunch. After lunch, we made through the first rapid without flipping. We were so excited, but then on the last rapid we flipped again. It was exhilarating and scary. Besides being one of the coolest experiences of my life I now have a greater appreciation for God’s creation and His mighty power. Checking rafting down the Nile off my bucket list! The next day we took a banana boat ride to the source of the Nile where it meets Lake Victoria. I could not believe how fast the two days of rest flew by.
When we got back to Kampala we had more training, we sat through financial and safety sessions. We also got split into smaller teams. I am on a team of six, three guys and three girls. They are some of the most genuine, compassionate, kind hearted people I have ever met and I’m excited to serve alongside them the next few months. I also found out we will be heading up to Northern Uganda later tonight to work at a refugee camp. South Sudan has been unstable for a while now, so the Sudanese are fleeing to Uganda. At the camp, we don’t have any assignments. We are there to share the love of God with people and give them hope. I’m excited about this opportunity. Please keep my team in your prayers as we head out tonight. God has already done amazing work on my squad and the communities we have passed through. I’m so excited for what he has in store for us the next 11 months.
