On July 27th, my team said goodbyes to our Rwandan family, and headed off. We were on a bus from about 7am until 10pm. In that time, we spent an hour at the border and we switched to a 24 passenger van with all seats filled, and our bags packed in TIGHT! At 10ish, we got off the van and had dinner at a cafe. Then we spent the night parked there, and slept in close quarters sitting up straight in the van. At 5am the next day, our driver woke up and we headed off to our home for the month in Lira, Uganda. We arrived around 9am at Lightforce. It’s an organization partially self-funded through the production of some livestock and some agriculture; but also funded through UNISEF. Lightforce is a major partner with the World Race and they host teams regularly. Our host is an Englishman named George. We had a small orientation that day. I read my book and settled in. The next day, July 29th, we mostly rested, hand-washed our laundry, and became more oriented with the staff and facility. I sleep in a grass-roofed hut with 7 other ladies. There are four bunk beds and a bathroom we share. We take bucket showers and most of the time our toilet flushes (yay). The real work started on Monday the 30th. We began clearing out a dirty, mouse/rat filled warehouse, and organizing the items. In the afternoon, I organized school and office supplies. The stuff looked about 10-15 years old, and I wiped down boxes also. It happened to be our friend, Wendy’s birthday so we celebrated her with many birthday songs.
The next day, I did inventory and organizing of a huge metal shipping container with Cristina and Rachel. I love that kind of work. We still did a bit of heavy lifting and some cleaning.
Within about two weeks, I read four books. One of them is titled, I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. It’s a very controversial book that even the author 20 years later struggles with. Many aspects are super relevant reminders of how I want to pursue dating or not dating when I get home. I sought out a book to help get my mind focused on purity in dating because it’s an area I’ve consistently struggled in. I now have more of a game-plan and I’m feeling confident that I can live right and date in a way that honors God. It’s mainly a book about how to really enjoy your singleness living for God vs. living for finding the “one.” I am hopeful for my future.
Anyway, on August 1st myself and a group of 8 others went around the local community. We walked to different huts and homes to check in with people whose family works for Lightforce, and others who receive funding for school children. We had a doctor in our group and he gave advice to different families who had sick family members and we prayed. We saw a 15 year old who was breastfeeding and her mother was there taking care of her mother. It was four generations of the women in this family. That day was fascinating. We went to a “bar” where there were about 15 men sitting outside. One guy in our group gave a message, and another guy wanted to accept Christ and be prayed with. There was an older guy who kept telling us girls he was coming to America with us. He kept on with me saying I was gonna marry him. I honestly hate those moments. It’s not so uncommon for African men to do this. Last month a guy kept saying he was in love with me. UGH. Anyway, we went back to Fightforce and had lunch. In the afternoon, we went to a woman named Joyce’s home. Her husband and an older son and his son were all there too. My group had such fun with Joyce!! She is a hoot! Full of stories, testimonies, and songs; her joy is infectious! We helped her harvest her “ground nuts,” which are peanuts unshelled and unroasted. I had never seen a peanut plant before.
The next day I went to her home for 8 hours! We had lunch at her home. Her family killed a whole goat for us. That was one of my favorite days of the race.
