Life with Lena

CONDO VIEWING!!!

2012-01-13T10:24:00.003+03:00

It's that time...Time to come and check out my condo that is for rent!!

When: JAN 21st, 2012, 11am - 3pm

Where: 8710 Independence Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91304

Who to Contact: Trudy @ (866) 884-4239 ext. 8230

Email Contact: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

What: Click here for details & pictures of the condo for rent

CONDO AVAILABLE - JAN 2012!!!

2011-11-14T11:38:00.006+03:00

If you missed out on your opportunity to rent my place in Canoga Park, CA last time it was available, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! It is being offered at a REDUCED PRICE!!

$1,575 per month with $1,000 security depost and will be available Jan 14th, 2012!

Here are some pics of the place, please note that the pics show the unit furnished, however it is being offered unfurnished at this time:

It is important that I get the place rented as soon as possible so if you are interested, or someone you know is interested...please feel free to contact me at: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

Here are some of the details:

2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Canoga Park California
1,218 sq ftHardwood floors throughout
Granite in kitchen and baths
his/her sinks
wood burning fireplace
all appliances included (refridge, stove, microwave, washer/dryer)
free water
shared pool/jacuzzi
2 balconies
2 underground parking spaces
central ac/heat
top floor unit in a quiet building
Central location, near 101 and 118 freeway access
Sorry...no pets allowed
Price: $1,575 per month with $1,000 security deposit required

This is below what I pay on it every month so you are getting a deal!!!

Contact: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

Sneak Peak...

2011-10-17T11:58:00.003+03:00

ARM (otherwise known as Africa Renewal Ministries) is celebrating it's 20th year and as a result I have been helping put together a celebration magazine...it is filled with stories about the organization, successes they have had, and how far they have come over the last 20 years. As we were working on success stories for the Mwangaza Choir pages, I realized that I too had a success story about the choir that I could share...Parts of this story will be in the magazine, but I figured I would share it with those of you who may never see the magazine in print...for those of you who will see the magazine, consider this your "sneak peak",

If it were not for ARM’s very first choir, sent to Californi

a in 2004, I don’t think I would be living, working and serving in Uganda Today.

I first discovered the country Uganda, sitting in Cornerstone Community Church, Simi Valley, California. I remember the music and the rhythms, but even more so I remember the testimonies of the children who had faced so many challenges in their young lives but had the determination to love Jesus and share Him with the world. It was in my seat that night that I felt God telling me…”Go, go to Uganda”…

You would think that I would have ran out of my seat and talked to my missions pastor that second, but being a procrastinator, I didn’t…I did however go to the back table and signed up to start supporting a young girl who lived in Ggaba. It was the first time I had ever given to anyone or any cause outside of my own little church circle and I loved feeling like I was doing something so outside of myself, even if I hadn’t actually done anything with Gods call “to go, go to Uganda”…That was in 2004...

(Mwangaza's Choir - 2004)

It was 2 years later when the second choir returned to my church that I realized I had been disobedient to God and what he asked me to do 2 years previously. I sat again listening to the music but mostly praying during that concert, “God if you want me to go, you need to do it because I don’t know how”…in my usual fashion, I went to the back table and sponsored another 2 children. I was up to 3 now, but still had never set foot on Uganda’s soil.

(Mwangaza's Choir - 2006)

It was a few weeks later that God opened up a huge opportunity and I was invited to go on a short term trip to Uganda with some members of my church. I went with them in Nov. 2006 and my life has never been the same. Before traveling to Uganda, I was always the one who planned trips to different places around the world and then ticked them off my list when I returned…determined to explore the world in my lifetime. But when I returned from Uganda, I didn’t tick it off my list…instead I found myself saying, “As long as I keep going back to Uganda, I don’t care if I ever go anywhere else”.

I returned again to Uganda in 2007, trying to tell myself that I was just called to go on short terms there, but God showed me through the pastors at my church and through the people in Uganda, that he wanted me in Uganda, LONG TERM.

I finally submitted to God’s call for me, when I moved to Uganda in July 2009, and I have to say that it has been the greatest blessing in my life. In Mark 10 God says that those who leave their homes, their families, and their land for him will receive 100 fold and I have found that to be true in my own life. Some days I smile and thank God for making Uganda just for me…I know that is silly because he didn’t make it just for me, but the blessings he has poured out in my life in the few short years I have been here make it feel that way. I can’t imagine my life anywhere else, and I am so blessed to be working alongside the very organization that sent Mwangaza choir all those years ago and helped me realize God’s calling on my life!

(Me and my co-workers at ARM Headquarters, Sept 2011)

Thank you ARM for being faithful, keep up the good work because you are making an impact for the world!

Birthday Clowns...

2011-09-30T12:50:00.001+03:00

I don't know about you but usually I find clowns odd and creepy, but last weekend, I found one that was quite entertaining...one who danced, and had jokes, and mocked the kids (but in a good way) haha...it was very fun! So here are some pics, from our 3 year old cousin's bday...enjoy :)

Concert Mania...

2011-09-26T12:36:00.000+03:00

Well...Okay, not quite mania (being that it was more of a jazz concert) BUT still sooo sooo good!

This month we checked out one of our local musican's here in Kampala, Maurice Kirya, and honestly...it was great! I was very impressed, not only by the music but also by the venue...!

Proof that missionaries in "far off places" can still go out and have a great time :)- and proof for some of you that I don't pass by lions on my way to work... (you know who you are!)

----------------------------------

Now, for the funny part of the concert, and probably only funny for those of you who know my sister Barbara and I when we go out...but check it out...I found our twins...the chick in the white sweater was SOOO me (actually, I have that exact sweater but in black, so yes, sooo me) and the white chick was a dancing fool, just like Barbs...it was sooo funny to watch them that I had to snap the picture, even if i knew the quality wasn't going to be so great!

Definitely my Mother's Daughter...

2011-09-20T12:14:00.000+03:00

The other day I got myself all "dolled" up for a fancy wedding at the local 5-Star resort...My sis covered me in make-up, we did my hair and of course had to take some pictures afterward...

When I looked at the pictures I couldn't help but laughing as I realized I have become my mother...

It was soooo funny because I could see some of her expressions in me, which apparently I never see without the camera...

So these pics are for those of you who know my mother, and want a glimpse of what she looked like when she was around my age!

I know...its a little scary right (esp the last one...you guys might as well just call me Teri...) humm?!

Curriculum Consultant...

2011-09-14T12:05:00.002+03:00

Wow...I can't believe it has been about a month since I posted on this blog! SOOOO SOOOO Sorry!

It seems time has escaped me as I dove into my language studies!

While I am still in no way fluent in Luganda, I have a better grasp on it for sure and I hope to continue to learn and grow in my language skills in the next few months and years! Please be praying for my brain...I think I have sprouted some new gray hairs on my head because of all this thinking and learning, but yes, its worth it...and there is always dye to cover the gray!!!

Unfortunately, my 6 months of full-time language study has ended...but yet a new chapter has started! As promised, I am now in ARM headquarters helping them with their leadership curriculum. The goal of the curriculum is to ensure that when their children leave the sponsorship program, they are able to be examples of servant leaders to the community around them. This curriculum revision is set to take 4 months, then I will transition back to my position at ARCC (aka...GBI).

Soooo, as some would say..."that's the skinny" and thanks for your continued reading, despite my prolonged absence! I hope to be a little bit better at updating this in the near future!!!

GBI gets a new look and a new name :)

2011-08-19T21:17:00.003+03:00

Ever since GBI moved out of Gaba, our school name has been somewhat awkward, especially when meeting new people...usually my conversations went something like this...

"Where do you work?"

Me: "At Gaba Bible Institute"

"Oh okay, I know where Gaba is"

Me: "Well, its called Gaba Bible Institute because we used to be in Gaba but now the school is in Buloba."

"Buloba?! That's far!"

Me: "Well, its not too far and the plus is that now we have a nice new campus with lots of space!"

"But why is it still called Gaba then?"

Me: "Well, we will change our name soon but we are waiting for when we apply for a new accreditation from the National Council"

"Oh, okay"

SOOOOOO all that to say, now my conversations can be easier - I can just picture them:

"Where do you work?"

Me: "Africa Renewal Christian College"

"Oh okay, thats cool, where is that?"

Me: "Buloba..."

So there you have it, GBI is now ARCC or "Africa Renewal Christian College" and our new logo, well, I think its pretty cool :)

Revisions and Additions...

2011-07-17T08:36:00.002+03:00

This summer has been a busy one...and yes, I realize it has just begun!

Amidst all of my luganda learning, I have also been helping GBI with Curriculum revisions and additions. Each week I meet with 2-5 people who are each learning how to write curriculum...

I am excited for the much needed revisions in our English and Computer programs and I am also interested in our future additions (Bachelors Degrees)...hopefully coming next year sometime!

Please continue to pray for me and my curriculum writing buddies! Pray for wisdom, insight, creativity, depth and determination...all very important traits we need to write curriculum that will stand out above the rest!

Uganda...A Fresh Perspective...

2011-07-10T01:33:00.007+03:00

We have all seen it on tv and in pictures...the dirty, fly ridden kid, with tears in his eyes sitting in a slum...and yes, we do have those here in UG BUT I want you to see the pictures you don't ever see...A glimpse of what real life looks like here in Uganda...

Our International Airport - This is what you would see when you first arrive in UG

Inside of Entebbe Airport, Complete with Duty free stores...

Around Town...This is Kampala Road in the heart of our capital city. The Brown building with red letters on the left is our main post office...this is where I pick up packages sent to me :)

This is a Friday Night at Emin Pasha, a local hotel/restaurant/spa - On Friday nights they have a jazz band called Qwela...it's a great night to snack on good food, listen to good music and hang out with your friends!

This is Cafe Java's...it's kind of like our version of starbucks but it is also a full restaurant with all the "american" food you could want...My fav...An Iced Mocha and a Chicken Salad Sandwich.

This is Garden City, one of our malls. It comes complete with a casino, bowling alley, movie theatre, dance club, and food court.

Here's a peak inside Garden City, this is one of our grocery store chains called Uchumi. This particular grocery store also hosts a christian book store and electronics shop.

In Uganda, we drive on the left hand side and rather than having traffic lights everywhere we use these roundabouts at intersections.

This is the inside of the National Theatre, every few months they host musicals and plays here. My Ugandan sister Barbara is part of the theatre group so she can often be found singing on this stage.

This is the parliament building in the center of Kampala

This is where my sister Barbara works and one of our best options for car insurance.

Our football stadium, home to the Uganda Cranes...This is called Mandela Stadium

Kampala is home to many international schools, this one is KISU, which is a school for primary through high school age kids. My friend Jeff's kids go here...they have an amazing school campus!

Here is our national bank, Bank of Uganda...some of my Ugandan family members work here as managers and economists.

Yumm...another great food spot here in town is called Faze 2 - This is great for lunches or candle lit dinners.

This is downtown Kampala, the building you see straight ahead is home to many little shops BUT is also home to my church (Calvary Chapel Kampala) - the top floor is our sanctuary, and the one right below it are the church offices and sunday school rooms.

This is the Kololo airstrip with a great view of our capital city...large events are usually held here, such as concerts, fairs, motorcross events and political speeches.

Our golf course, in the center of our city...its soooo beautiful that it almost makes me want to learn how to play golf...humm...

This is the Speke, it is a hotel about 5 minutes drive from my house and has this amazing pool, house back riding, and water sports...It also has some great Indian food :)

The Sheraton Hotel...They have a great little dance club here where they like to play old skool music (60's-90's) videos...If you want to dance to the "YMCA" song, this is the place to do it :)

And...last but not least on my little tour of Kampala is the Serena Hotel...Its also a great place with an amazing seafood buffet and a lake in the lobby.

I hope you enjoyed my little tour...I am hoping this will help clear up the questions I get about how many wild animals I see on my way to work everyday! I'm also hoping some of my long lost friends from Cali may want to come visit me and this city I call home :)

The 2 Year Mark...

2011-07-01T23:19:00.002+03:00

Today I have officially been in Uganda for 2 years...I arrived here on July 1st, 2009 and its so odd because sometimes it feels like I have been here for SOOO long, then other times it feels as if I have just arrived...

Either way, It is becoming more and more evident to me that I have not stood on US soil for awhile...I have forgotten what its like in some ways...I have forgotten names of streets, food places, and directions. I have friends who were single when I left who are now married with children...it's all a little surreal!

Despite that though, I enjoy this new life of mine and I am looking forward to many more anniversaries here in Uganda! Now I just need someone to toast this special day...champagne anyone??

Change the World...

2011-06-26T22:02:00.000+03:00

This is a story I heard from a friend of mine today...I liked it and thought I would share it with the rest of you...

The Egg:

The Egg starts out with a hard shell and a soft inside BUT after putting it in boiling water, it changes and develops a harder inside.

The Carrot:

The Carrot starts out hard BUT after putting it in boiling water, it changes and becomes soft.

The Coffee:

The Coffee, goes into the boiling water and rather than changing the beans the water is changed.

So should we be...we shouldn't be changed by our world and our environment but we should strive to leave our own impressions on it, we should in essence go into the world and change it

The moral of the story...be like the coffee and forever leave your mark on this little place we call earth...

The FUTURE of GBI!

2011-06-23T12:49:00.000+03:00

2006 was the first time I stepped foot in Gaba, at that time GBI didn't exist...

In 2007, I once again stepped foot in Gaba, this time it was in a 2 story white house which was being turned into what is now known as Gaba Bible Institute...at that time, it didnt look like much and didn't have much! Most of the books were from the 1960s and there were very few people on the campus.

In 2010, the 2 storied house was falling apart but the school itself had started to prosper...we had gained accreditation, we had newer books, student desks, and more students and staff. The school was in such a bad state though, that the 2nd floor of our school was condemned and the students studied outside under tents...

In 2011...the state of our school changed dramatically...and God blew me away with what he could do. We moved into our new campus, which was no longer a rented house, but consisted of 18 acres of land for us to grow into.

AND NOW...while none of us but God can know the future, we can get a glimpse of where GBI is headed...I am soooooo blessed to be apart of this! Thank you for praying! As I see God continue to do amazing things everyday through Gaba Bible Institute, I can truly say, I can not even imagine what he still has in store for us! For we are TRULY blessed!

Time for Change...

2011-06-19T12:42:00.002+03:00

It has been 3 years since I have had this blog and well...I think its time for a change so here is the new and improved look for this blog!

You may remember the old blog...it had a picture of Gaba Port at the top with the words "Send Me"...well now that I have been living in Uganda for 2 years...it is quite obvious that you have indeed "sent me"...

As you know GBI spent its first 3 years in Gaba on the shores of Lake Victoria...hence the picture of Gaba Port, BUT God has blessed us with our own campus and so my new picture on the top of this blot is of GBI's New Buloba Campus! I am so excited to see how God uses this campus, the workers and the students who are here!

Thank you again for being a part of sending me...and keeping me here in Uganda! I am truly blessed to be on this journey as I watch God work in Uganda.

Hell???

2011-05-30T08:40:00.002+03:00

Yesterday in church our pastor talked about hell...he talked about the option in the bible that God will ultimately give us...either we use him as our cornerstone on which to stand or he will be the cornerstone that crushes us.

Now I know alot of people feel uncomfortable when talking about hell...some want to believe that only "evil" people will go there, others want to believe that it doesn't exist at all, or still others like to joke about how fun it will be there because all the people who like to "party" will be there. I do think its something everyone needs to consider when they decide what they want to believe in and for some reason the topic has come to my attention in the last few weeks several times. I don't know if its because its something that I dodge in my conversations with people or what, but for some reason I think it needs to be something we talk about.

This morning when I woke up, I saw a video on facebook about the very same topic...it was a video from my pastor in California. I think he explains it very well, so rather than re-create what he was trying to say, I will just re post the video here. It is thought provoking and challenging...in a very good and much needed way.

Luganda Proverbs...

2011-05-11T07:32:00.002+03:00

One of my assignments in language school is to memorize some of the Luganda proverbs we have...if you know anything about me though, you know my memorization skills are TERRIBLE! So I thought I would share a few of the proverbs here in an attempt to aid in my memorizing!!!

These are just a few from a book of over 1000 proverbs I have, I am giving you just the literal translation...see if you can figure out what the meaning behind them are - (hint: I gave you easy ones)...As with any proverbs in any country these will also give you a little view of what culture looks like in Uganda!

"Abali awamu, tebalema kuyomba" - People who live together cannot fail to have quarrels

"Abangi babi kulya, balungi mirimu" - A crowd is bad for eating, but good for work

"Ab'oluganda bwe bayomba, tossaayo kikyo" - You should not give an opinion when 2 relatives are quarrelling.

"Agenda gy'amanyi, tazibirirwa budde" - One who travels to a familiar place does not worry about arriving in the dark.

"Akatono, kekazzza omukwaano" - A small gift strengthens a friendship

"Akozesa emikono gye, tabulwa ky'aalya" - One who uses both hands, cannot fail to eat

Happy Birthday Barbs!

2011-04-23T08:00:00.000+03:00

I'm glad you were born :)

Ooops!

2011-04-15T12:03:00.002+03:00

I realized today that it has been almost a month since I posted anything here and in addition to that, I am pretty sure I also missed my email update which was supposed to go about two weeks ago...

But don't fear...I haven't fallen in a ditch and died or run away never to be found again...

Its amazing to me that the more language learning I do, the more tired my brain becomes and therefore the thought of writing anything, in any language, in any medium, has become quite the task. In fact, most days I even have trouble answer questions after 4pm!

I sure hope all this new input doesn't push out anything important that is already stuck in my brain!! haha...it sounds weird but it is a very real possibility at this point!

I promise to try harder and post more often!!!

Buloba Campus...Its Official!

2011-03-26T15:52:00.002+03:00

Yesterday was the official grand opening of GBI's new campus in Buloba!

Even though I have been there many times before, the event really solidified it all for me. Once again I was blown away at the provisions that God gives us...and how beyond our belief his provision is!

The campus has progressed far since we purchased it last year...it has flushing toilets, electricity, new paint, new tile, a kitchen, dorms...and sooo much more!

We celebrated with our local police, the prime minister of UG, the head of the Higher Education accreditation board, founders, donors, staff, students and many more.

I can not wait to see what GBI looks like next year at this time...or even in 5 or 10 years! God is doing great things here and I am thankful that He allows me to be a part of it!

(Pics to come next week some time :)

I can READ!!

2011-03-20T21:35:00.000+03:00

Today in my Luganda class I read a 96 page luganda book...Impressive right?!

Now before you get tooooo excited for me, I will let you in on a little secret...

All the pages looked like this:

haha...but you know what?

I don't care! I can still read!!!

Hehe!

Who Wants to be a Millionaire...

2011-03-16T20:54:00.000+03:00

UGANDAN STYLE...

I am learning more and more about Uganda now that I have access to Ugandan TV Channels and to my surprise I now know that their is a Ugandan Version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire...

As a result of my new knowledge, I now have a few questions...

1.) Can I go for a taping....?!? How fun would that be right?!

2.) If so...where is this taping?

3.) And how do I go about getting my pale behind a few tickets?!

If you are reading this and you know the answers to my questions, let me know :)

It's Science People...

2011-03-12T20:40:00.002+03:00

I opened my SEALED, Snap lid container of rice today and to my surprise...some of my little friends had sneaked in. I'm still stumped at how they managed to get into the supposedly airtight containers but don't worry...that wasn't my scientific revelation!

I went through a now common exercise of sifting the bugs out of my rice, poured my 2 cups of rice into my pan, then did another little visual check for any unexpected visitors. I found a few and removed them and then added my 3 cups of water...and... to my surprise I learned a very important scientific fact...

Not only do dead PEOPLE float,

BUT

So do DEAD bugs :)

I found 5 floaters after my addition of the good ol' H20 and thought to myself...gee...if I would have know this fact earlier, I wouldn't have had to go through the pain of sifting!

I think next time I find friends in my rice, I am just going straight for the drowning/floating method, after all, its fast AND effective!

Till next time....

Yeah!!! I'm NOT stupid!

2011-03-08T17:47:00.002+03:00

So remember how I wrote on my facebook page that you should pray for me because I had a Luganda exam...Well...I have had a few now and at first I was really starting to feel stupid every time I got my papers back. The thing I couldn't figure out was why everyone was telling me I did great when I thought I did so poorly...

It wasn't until one of my friends clarified it for me..."You do realize they grade on a British scale and not an American one right?"

Me: Yeah...but what is the difference, I don't get it?!...Well it took a few days and my curiosity got the best of me, let me say I am so thankful to the Internet for clarifying it for me!!

My test scores so far:

64% & 74%

But in the British scale,

70% and above is an A (4.0)

60-69 % is a B+

55-59% is a B (3.0)

50-54% is a C+

40-49% is a C (2.0)

and

39% and below is an F...

NOW I don't feel so bad...but do you see why I was so confused in the beginning! haha! Yeah for good grades!

Spanglish...

2011-03-05T16:11:00.002+03:00

In Cali we have the term "Spanglish" and it is a nice way of saying you are are speaking Spanish and English at the same time....half your sentence may be in Spanish with a few words of English thrown in...

I was reminded of Spanglish today when I was in my Luganda lessons and we were talking about "Luganda-nizing" English words that we do not have in Luganda. Right now, I am definitely use a lot of "Lugand-glish" for the simple fact that I dont have enough Luganda words in my working memory...BUT I have to say, the Lugandanizing of English words makes me kinda happy...

1.) It gives me less to memorize and

2.) It tricks me into thinking I understand more Luganda than I really do!!

SOOOO...here are some of our Lugandanized English words...

Try and see if you can figure out what words they are :) I will put the answers at the bottom (but don't cheat and peek before you try and figure it out for yourself :) After all, it will be more fun that way :)

1. Ssaati

2. Kkooti

3. Laadiyo

4. Bbaasi

5. Bayibuli

6. Ssikaati

7. Mmotoka

8. Bulangiti

9. Ttivvi

10. Pulofeesa

11. Zzipu

12. Mayiro

13. Ssiniya

14. Apo

15. Eggiraasi

16. Pulezidenti

SO...how did you do?! haha! Did any of those look like English to you??? Let me assure you, they sound more like English than they look when they are spelled...

In case you couldn't quite figure out what these words were, here are the answers! I would love to hear how many you got right...

1. Ssaati = Shirt

2. Kkooti = Coat

3. Laadiyo = Radio

4. Bbaasi = Bus

5. Bayibuli = Bible

6. Ssikaati = Skirt

7. Mmotoka = Motor car

8. Bulangiti = Blanket

9. Ttivvi = T.V.

10. Pulofeesa = Professor

11. Zzipu = Zipper

12. Mayiro = Mile

13. Ssiniya = Senior

14. Apo = Apple

15. Eggiraasi = Glass

16. Pulezidenti = President

Reality Check...

2011-03-01T00:07:00.003+03:00

The longer I live in Africa the more I come to realize what close minded views people have of this continent...

When I say I live in Africa, many people imagine me in the middle of a National Geographic Photo shoot, hunting wild animals, crossing large deserts or sitting in the middle of a slum full of kids with runny noses and swarming flies...

I realize that this view that people have comes from the images they see on television, or read in story books...and unfortunately I find that american TV, books, and even the education fall way short on giving us an accurate picture of what the rest of the world is really like...

SO...here is a little bit of a reality check aimed at giving you a small picture of what we have in Uganda and some of the things I enjoy that most people can't imagine I have access too...

In UG we have:

TVs...and not just small ones, we have nice big flat screen ones...
We have DSTV
with MTV,
E! Entertainment
and all the other channels you may enjoy in the US
We have tabloid newspapers...and yes, they are just as ridiculous as the ones in the states
We have a movie theatre
A bowling alley
And a small roller skating rink
We also have a paint ball field
White water rafting
and Bungie Jumping...but if we are being honest, I would never jump...no matter what country I was in!
We have coffee shops
with Iced Mochas, Lattes
and sweets to munch on
We use cell phones,
and have internet access through blackberries and iphones.
We also have traffic...lots of it...and personally I think its worse than the 405 morning drive
During the week, you will see business women and men in their business suits
carrying laptops and
sitting in cafes, having important business meetings
We also have shopping malls
Food courts
Elevators
and fancy restaurants
We have spa's
Swimming pools
local celebrities
and Five star hotels
We also have Two story houses
Dogs and Cats as pets
and Ice Cream shops
You can find Pringle potato chips in our stories (on most days)
along with twix candy bars
and oreo cookies
We also have pizza parlors,
Chinese food
A sushi restaurant
and a beauty parlor that does eyebrow threading, mani's and pedi's
We have banks,
ATM machines
Fireworks on New Years
and Night clubs
We have motorcycle cops
Police cars
and highways
Our cars have radios,
CD players,
and air conditioning
English is our national language
and Uganda is a country, making Africa a CONTINENT
We have lakes,
Mountains,
and Valleys
And despite what you may think...Uganda is generally green year-round
We have great weather (ranging from mid 60's to mid 90's depending on the time of year)
We have car dealerships
Auto repair shops
and photo studios
We have mormon missionaries in black trousers, white shirts, black ties and name tags, just like the USA
We also have Jehovah witness temples,
Mosques
Catholic Churches
and a variety of protestant churches
We have universities offering Phd's
MA's
and BA's
And, just like in the US, people in UG spend absurd amounts of money on their weddings

I am sure there are more things I haven't mentioned but well...If I tried to kill all the stereotypes that people hold about Africa in one blog, that blog might be a few miles long...

I hope this gives a clearer picture of life though, and just how much Uganda really has to offer!

Preservatives please!

2011-02-27T18:36:00.002+03:00

Honestly, there isn't much I miss from the states...I don't miss the Santa Ana winds, or the SFV wild fires. I don't miss the 405 freeway, the work-a-holic mentality, or the individualistic society...

What do I miss then? I hate to say it, but I miss preservatives! haha! Is that weird?! Of course I miss friends and family left behind, but when people ask me what I want them to send me as gifts, my mind always runs to those foods I love but can't get here in UG...

My favorite preservatives, you ask?

Dried Cheese Tortellini & Raviolis...

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

White Chocolate Chips

Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso beans

Beef Jerky

and Powdered Coffee Creamer

So there you have it...an insight into me and my preservative secrets!

Maybe someday these favs will make into a store nearest me...(hint, hint)...if you are a store owner in UG and want tips on what to import...I promise to buy these items from you...as long as you don't try and charge me $45 for something that should only cost $3...

I'm used???

2011-02-24T17:25:00.000+03:00

Being that I have been in UG for almost 2 years now, I have to say that I am used to most things here...I think that is why blogging has been difficult lately because everything I think to write about seems so boring...I realize though, that what is normal life to me may not be for you and so the other day when I woke up, I took a picture of something I don't think I will ever completely get used to...

What is it you say...?

A large, and I do mean large, flying cockroach...

Now, I am too much of a chicken to try and take a picture of one that is alive and flying towards my head...but when it is laying upside down in my bedroom I seem to find a little more courage...

The first picture I took though, just looked like a dead cockroach and didn't portray just how big this thing was, so I mustered up a little more courage and put my pointer finger next to it...as you can see, it is just as long as my finger and fatter...and no, I don't have small hands or short, skinny fingers...

And yes, this is officially my arch-enemy here in UG!!

Now, I am know you are thinking..."wow...look at Lena, having great courage (or you are saying...doesn't she have anything better to do then take pictures of dead bugs)", but either way, let me be completely honest and tell you that when I tried to sweep it outside with a broom and it tried to fight for its life by fluttering toward me, I lost all my courage and ended up screaming like a little girl...

So much for courage!!!

Oh well!

PJ Jeans??

2011-02-20T17:55:00.001+03:00

I think I am outside of the fashion circle...

A few weeks ago one of my FB friends wrote on her FB status that she wanted some "Pajama Jeans" and I have to say...I had no point of reference to what she was talking about and why 16 people had hit the "like" button...

After a short internet search I was back up to speed, but I couldn't help to think what it would be like if I was a missionary back in the day when there was no FB, no internet searches, etc...

I know that when I go back for a visit in the US, there will be new slang, new fashion, new marriages, new babies and new places that I know nothing about...but I do know that with FB and the internet, at least I wont be tooooo weird...after all, I have a head start...I know what PJ Jeans are now, right?!

haha! here's too life and the impossibility of freeze framing it...I'm glad that things always change...

Imagine how boring it would be if every day was exactly the same as the day before!

I don't hate visitors...

2011-02-16T17:41:00.000+03:00

One of my friends has a picture on the side of her blog that says: "I don't hate comments" and I remember when she first put it on her blog more people actually left her comments...so, let me see if her theory works for me too...

"I don't hate visitors!!"

I don't really know why, but for the last few months I have really been longing to see someone I knew from the US...a friend from LA, a family member, a church acquaintance...anyone who I knew in the states actually...I'm not so sure why I have this "I need a visitor" itch, but maybe its because I have been here awhile and since being here most, if not all of my fellow missionaries have had people from their lives back home come to see them...and me...well, not so much! I'm thinking "the itch" also has something to do with me wanting at least someone from my old life, to have a small picture of what my new life looks like and where I am everyday...

SOOO if any of you have a tiny little voice in the back of your head saying "Go somewhere in the world and visit a friend", let me say, that "friend" maybe me and that place maybe Uganda...

Just a thought :)

Okola ki buli lunaku?

2011-02-12T20:48:00.000+03:00

Nzuukuka buli lunaku ne nsenya amannyo.

Bwe maliriza nnaaba omubiri ne ngambala engoye.

Oluvannyuma nsaba ne nsoma baibuli.

Bwe maliriza nvuga e'motoka ngenda ku ssomero mu CLC ne nyiga oluganda ne Simon.

Oluvannyuma negezamu oluganda ne mikwano gyange.

Bwe maliriza ngenda awaka ne kwebaka.

Nsaba njiga okugamba oluganda mangu mangu!

------------------------------------------------

So if you haven't noticed...I am practicing my luganda on you! HAHA...the great thing about practicing on you, my reading audience, is that most of you don't speak luganda so if this is COMPLETELY wrong...you have no idea and you still think I am great luganda speaker :) In turn boosting my confidence in trying to speak...haha!

But if you are reading this and you do speak luganda, please let me know how I did...I am sure its got some flaws...BUT feel free to send me corrections, or even questions in luganda so I can try to respond to you!

For all you non-luganda speakers...here is the rough translation of what I wrote (or tried to write):

Title: What do you do every day?

"I wake up every day and brush my teeth.

When I am finished, I bathe and get dressed.

Then, I pray and read my bible, when I finish, I go to my school (CLC) in my car and I learn Luganda with Simon. Later I practice luganda with my friends.

When I am finished, I go home and sleep.

I pray I will learn to speak luganda soon!"

Extra Expenses...

2011-02-09T18:11:00.000+03:00

First let me thank ALL of you who contribute to keeping me in Uganda each month!!! I am sooo very blessed to have all of your support, both through prayers and finances!!

That being said, if you are interested in giving this year above and beyond what you currently do, or if you want to give a special one time gift, I would be grateful!

This year, with our school move and my full time language studies, I have two new expenses that I did not originally plan for...

1.) Language School...while it is something that I am enjoying tremendously, it is an added expense (approx. $300 each month) that has been a challenge to pay for.

2.) Land...My long term plan for staying in UG, is to be able to purchase land near our new campus and build a small apartment complex...this will allow me to eventually live closer to the campus, provide extra housing in the area for our growing staff and student population, as well as help provide extra funds that can subsidize my fundraising in the future. ( The land is approx $15k per acre in the area I am looking)

So, if you would like to contribute to either of these...visit www.nmsi.org and click "new donor", Once you do that, you will find my name / acct and provide the needed information to set up a financial gift.

Thank you again for all of your support and love!!! I can not thank you enough!

Do you cook in your kitchen??

2011-02-06T21:10:00.000+03:00

haha...okay, yes, I admit, I am not betty crocker and my ideal night is not making some exotic meal but I have to say, I love learning about Ugandan culture!!

So here...Wives are expected to cook and serve their husbands...that is not what strikes me though...what strikes me is how the language reinforces the idea of what a marriage should look like...

What do I mean??

Well...the verb to cook is: Oku-fumba

If I am cooking I say: Nfumba

If I am not cooking, I say: Sikufumba

Now do you want to know the word for married???

It is: Mufumbo

If I am married I just say I am: Mufumbo

and if I am not married, I say Simufumbo

See the similarity??

Its like saying, no I'm not cooking, and no I'm not married...Now that is one to smile about...the thing that made me laugh though is the conversation I had about this with my language teacher...

It went kinda like this:

"So if you are married, you can cook in the kitchen and you can cook other places too"

Hats of Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart then, if you aren't already married you would make two really great African wives!

7 Candidates and 2 Weeks...

2011-02-03T13:26:00.001+03:00

On 18th Feb, Uganda will hold its presidential elections....this election is the biggest yet, with 7 presidential candidates from 7 different political parties.

I have to say, I am curious how this election will turn out. Our current president, Museveni, has held office since 1986. In 2005, he changed the election laws that bound him to run only 2 terms, and this election, will decide if he runs for his 4th term as president. He has slowly been losing power with each election, going from a 75% in 2001 to a 53% win in 2006...Yet with the elections upcoming, people are not so sure much will change after all, Museveni's party definitely has the most resources and the biggest influence.

The prayer of all here is that the elections will be peaceful and so far we haven't had much trouble occurring.

Please keep us, the elections and Uganda in your prayers during this time!

Thanks!

I'm NO girl scout!

2011-01-30T20:27:00.000+03:00

How do I know this...

Well...I don't know much about the girl scouts but I do know they sell cookies and earn patches for their uniforms.

From what I have heard, one of those patches is wilderness survival, including making fire from sticks.

So today, I had many little sticks, match sticks actually, and I had two and a half boxes of them and a pile of about 500 papers...

Can you guess how many matches it took me to burn my paper pile???

Not one, not 10, not even 20...it took ALL 2 1/2 boxes and over an hour...

The things that kept running through my head during my afternoon activity??

1.) When I was a kid I always thought houses with lots of papers would burn faster...humm...maybe I was wrong...maybe paper products aren't as flammable as I had initially thought...

2.) Maybe these papers really are cursed!! (I was burning the papers because someone told me they thought they might be...I figured...better to be safe than sorry, right?)

3.) If I have so much trouble burning papers with matches...I could NEVER survive in the wilderness...where I would probably have to catch my food and then figure out how to cook it...matches or not...It could be a task that is way out of my league...

4.) If I ever committed a crime...I wouldn't pick fire to dispose of the evidence...After all, I would probably still be trying to light the evidence on fire by the time the police came to the scene...(and yes, I admit that I might watch too many investigation/crime TV shows)

Needless to say...I did eventually succeed...the proof of my success?

I have a pile of paper ashes by my back door, I smell like I smoked a few packs of cigarettes, I have more space in my lower desk drawer, I have a lighter conscience and I have a weird sense of accomplishment...for all you girl scouts out there...does this qualify me for a patch?

Just curious!

School girl?

2011-01-27T07:34:00.002+03:00

I have to say, I would never, never classify myself as a school girl...for some reason when I think of school girls I think of short skirts and Britney Spears...in her early years that is...

But it's true, I am for the first time in my life a school girl...that is, someone who ONLY goes to school...I think if I had been a school girl during college I may have learned alot more than I actually did...but its amazing how much free time you have to actually do your homework, rather than just have enough time to make up excuses for why you didn't have time to do your homework.

So it's full steam ahead...at this pace, I am hoping I will have some good luganda speaking skills by March...but my brain is old, and well, its hard to teach old dogs new tricks...so pray for me as I venture into this school girl, "let's learn luganda" thing!!

Mweebale Musaba!!

It's RENTED!!!!!!

2011-01-11T20:53:00.000+03:00

After a few LONG months, I am pleased to announce that my condo is now rented!!!

Thank you for all of you who prayed for a tenant for me!!! Its such a huge burden off of me to have it occupied!

Super Sized

2011-01-09T20:33:00.003+03:00

My new favorite thing???

The GBI Projector!

Yes, I admit, I spent my holiday watching movies super sized...it is sad that I have to give it back...it means movies go back to a 15" laptop screen.

I have to say, Super Sized Movies were fun while it lasted...I sure hope I will get to babysit the projector again sometime soon!

Yes...Its still available!

2010-12-31T10:17:00.003+03:00

After a few months my condo is still available for rent.

The price is now listed at $1575 per month!

Email me at: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net if you are interested!

8710rental@sbcglobal.net

the BIG move....

2010-12-29T09:02:00.000+03:00

Right after graduation, the staff and students at GBI geared up for our biggest move yet...our transfer to Buloba!

Here are a few snaps of the chaos!

My office...aka Staff PC holding room

The Moving Company brings in guys to help! Good thing...it took 5 full loads with an 18 wheeler and 3 trips with a lorry!

We took EVERYTHING...even dismantled the student lunch area and sold off the old tin roof!

This signs came down...with no trouble in the community! Yeah!

And Annet...well...the finance office can never shut down so Annet's office is now temporarily located in my living room...

It took a full 3 days to move everything...but for now...we are done!!! January will be when the tough job of unpacking and setting up the new offices begin...But until then...I'm on VACATION! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas #3 in UG

2010-12-27T14:00:00.006+03:00

Christmas #1 - 2007 I remember it well because I was SICK...Everyone went to Mukono for Christmas that year and I stayed on the couch, watching TV with a trash can by my side...

Christmas #2 - 2009 Was also one I remember...partly because I had high hopes for it but I remember being sooo bored. I had gone to church, then had lunch, then went home and watched movies on my laptop while it poured outside.

Christmas #3 - 2010 Was WAY better! It met and exceeded all of my expectations! My family and I went to a new resort on the lake. I went to the spa, hung out by the pool, ate enough food to feed me for a year and slept in a bed big enough to hold 5 people! Here are a few of the pics...It was fabulous!

The Nativity - UG Style

The Hotel

The Aftermath of the Gift Opening

Face Painting - Kayiza wanted to be Spider man

Christmas Carols by the Pool

Lots of Buffets

and Watching TV with the Fam

Overall, A very merry Christmas! Too bad we cant do this every month!

GBI Graduates 48!!

2010-12-26T08:45:00.000+03:00

On 10th December, GBI was privileged to send out 48 more workers into the field!

Some will stay in Uganda, while others will head back to their homes in Rwanda, Kenya, Congo, Tanzania and Burundi!

I am excited to see how God works through all of them to build up His Kingdom all over East Africa and I am so blessed to apart of it!!

Staff and Graduands!

GBI Staff, Showing off our Accreditation Certificate!!

Being Silly with Students and Staff!

Bday Fun

2010-12-23T08:19:00.003+03:00

My birthday fell on a Sunday this year and Sundays here are always spent with my family...So I didn't really make plans...I just went home as usual...

When I got there, they had pasta for lunch (my fav), they had a yummy cake, champagne, and presents...they had even invited more people from the fam over to make the surprise extra special!

Cutting the Cake :)

Dad, Opening the Champagne

And of Course Kayiza...Helping me open the presents :)

The following day when I went to work...it was a busy day as usual, until I was getting ready to leave and my friend Joseline told me to be at my favorite restaurant at 6 sharp!!

I had no idea what they had in store for me but when I arrived...the party began!

We had LOTS of yummy food...

We did some dancing...the guy at the restaurant even put a happy birthday song on the stereo for us!

Then we all crammed into my car and went for ice cream!

Overall...it was definitely a good welcome into my 30's!

The Creation Story...Baganda Style

2010-12-07T12:08:00.001+03:00

I find it interesting that most cultures, no matter where they are located have a Creation story...it is always interesting to me to see how they are related to the Biblical Creation story...kind of like playing a game of "telephone" where one person tells the story to another and it is passed along a chain of people, these creation stories re-iterate the factual ones but show how each culture had its own point of view per-se...this then is the creation story in the Buganda Tribe, one of the largest tribes here in Uganda, that occupies most of our central region and happens to be the tribe that my family is from...Enjoy..."Kintu the Legend"

Long ago, Kintu was the only person on the earth. He lived alone with his cow, which he loved so much. Ggulu the creator of all things lived up in heaven with his many children and other property. From time to time, Ggulu's children would come down to earth to play. On one such occasion, Ggulu's daughter Nambi and some of her brothers encountered Kintu who was with his cow in Buganda. Nambi was very fascinated with Kintu and she felt pity for him because he was living alone. She decided to marry and stay with him despite the opposition from her brothers. But because of her brothers' pleading, she decided to return to heaven with Kintu and ask for her father's permission for the union.

Ggulu was not pleased that his daughter wanted to get married to a human being and live with him on the earth. But Nambi pleaded with her father until she persuaded him to bless the union. After Ggulu decided to allow the marriage to proceed, he advised Kintu and Nambi to leave heaven secretly. He advised them to pack lightly and that on no condition were they to return to heaven even if they forgot anything. This admonition was so that Walumbe, one of Nambi's brothers should not find out about the marriage until they had left, otherwise he would insist on going with them and bring them misery. Kintu was very pleased to have been given a wife and together they followed Ggulu's instructions. Among the few things that Nambi packed, was her chicken. They set out for earth early the next morning.

But while they were descending, Nambi remembered that she had forgotten to bring the millet that her chicken would feed on. "I have left my chickens' millet on the porch, let me return and fetch it," she begged Kintu. But Kintu refused and said, "Don't go back. If you do, you will meet Walumbe and he will surely insist on coming with you." Nambi, however, did not listen to her husband, and leaving him on the way she returned to fetch the millet. When she reached the house, she took the millet from the porch, but on her way back, she suddenly met Walumbe who asked: "My sister, where are you going so early in the morning? Nambi did not know what to say. Filled with curiosity, Walumbe insisted on going with her. Therefore Kintu and Nambi were forced to go to earth together with Walumbe.

It did not take long for Kintu and Nambi to get children. One day, Walumbe went to Kintu's home and asked his brother-in-law to give him a child to help him with the chores in his (Walumbe's) house. But remembering Ggulu's warning, Kintu would not hear of it. Walumbe became very angry with Kintu for refusing him the simple favor he had asked. That very night, he went and killed Kintu's son. Naturally, this caused a deep rift between them. Kintu went back to heaven to report Walumbe's actions to Ggulu. Ggulu rebuked Kintu, reminding him of the original warning he had disregarded. Kintu blamed Nambi for returning to get the millet. Ggulu then sent another of his sons, Kayikuuzi, to go back to earth with Kintu and try to persuade Walumbe to return to heaven or if necessary return him by force.

On reaching earth, Kayikuuzi tried to persuade Walumbe to go back to heaven but Walumbe would not hear of it. "I like it here on earth and I am not coming back with you" he said. Kayikuuzi decided to capture Walumbe by force, and a great fight broke out between them. But as Walumbe was about to be overpowered, he escaped and disappeared into the ground. Kayikuuzi went after him, digging huge holes in the ground to try and find his brother. When Kayikuuzi got to where he was hiding, Walumbe run back out to the earth. Further struggle between the brothers ensued but once again Walumbe escaped into the ground. The famous caves that are found today at Ttanda in Ssingo are said to be the ones that were dug by Kayikuuzi in the fight with his brother Walumbe.

The struggle went on for several days and by now, Kayikuuzi was close to exhaustion. So he went and talked to Kintu and Nambi as follows: "I am going back into the ground one more time to get Walumbe. You and your children must stay indoors. You must strictly not allow your children not to make any noise if they see Walumbe. I know he is also getting tired so when he comes out of the ground, I will come upon him secretly and grab him." Kintu and Nambi went into their house, but some of the kids did not go in. Kayikuuzi once again went underground to find Walumbe. After a struggle, Walumbe came back out to the surface with Kayikuuzi in pursuit. Kintu's children who were outside at the time saw Walumbe coming and sreamed in terror. On hearing the screams, Walumbe went underground once again. Kayikuuzi was furious with Kintu and Nambi for not having followed his instructions. He told them that if they did not care to do the simple thing he had asked of them, he was also giving up the fight. Kintu in his embarrassment had nothing more to say. So he told Kayikuuzi "You return to heaven. If Walumbe wants to kill my children, let him do so, I will keep having more. The more he kills, the more I will get and he will never be able to kill off all my children". Ttanda, where the fight between Walumbe and Kayikuuzi allegedly took place is figuratively referred to as the place of death.

So that is the legend of creation, and how sickness and death started. Nonetheless, Kintu's descendants will always remain as Kintu said in his last words to Kayikuuzi. Hence the Kiganda saying "Abaana ba Kintu tebalifa kuggwaawo". Which means that Kintu's children will never be wiped off the face of the earth.

Onion anyone?

2010-12-04T08:49:00.003+03:00

Lets just say, I will try most things once...

So as you know, I have been sick (and honestly, I hate being sick!) So when my dad told me about a remedy for my sickness...I said...sure, why not try it!

The remedy, cut an onion in half, put it on a plate and put it on your bed while you sleep...supposedly the onion absorbs a bunch of germs?! haha...Now I don't know if this is scientifically fact or not but my nose does feel a little clearer today..

Lets see if I feel better for the whole day, or if this feeling of a clearer nose is just attributed to the 9 hours of sleep I just got!

Saturday..here I come!

You know when...

2010-12-02T19:55:00.002+03:00

your eyes are droopy

your pj's are on at 7pm

your bed is your favorite place

you sleep long hours

you yawn all day

you would rather sleep then eat

that you are....

NO NO NO...NOT OLD...NO NO NO...NOT DEPRESSED!

YOU know you are SICK!

And yes...i have had a little head cold for the week and as i type i am ready for bed at 8pm! Its not a sign of old age...at least not this time...but if you are thinking i am old, shame on you!!! It is true though, in 3 short days i will enter into my 3rd phase of life...haha...figure that one out why don't you!

But alas, for now i say farewell to blogger and hello to my comfy bed! Trust me...its better this way, with my sickly brain you never know what i might write!!!

Goodnight world, we will talk again soon!

Unexcused Absence?!

2010-11-21T18:40:00.002+03:00

As an ex-primary school teacher, I realize that any kid who hasn't been seen for 2 weeks risks the possibility of being dropped from their school roster and reported to the truancy police...and yet, I realized today its been 2 weeks since I have shown my little face here!!!

Sorry for my absence!!!

Things have been so busy around here with GBI preparing to move in less than one month, and me taking luganda lessons 4 nights a week now...it seems as if I just have enough time to eat and sleep nowadays!!!

As I watch the calendar days FLY by I am in shock that we have only 40 days left of 2010...I am so thankful as I look back at this year...

So much has been accomplish,

So much has been learned,

I will admit, the lessons of this past year have not all been easy but they have all been needed and have all been worthwhile.

There are many days I shake my head in disbelief at the ways that God works and then there are others that are so obviously God to me that I can't understand why others around me can't see what I see.

I am looking forward to see what these last 40 days of 2010 will bring and can't even fathom what is in store for 2011...God only knows...and I like it that way!

Elections...here we come...

2010-11-08T18:41:00.002+03:00

Well...not really...we still have about 3 1/2 months to go but campaigns are underway and causing quite a stir here in our normally quite and peaceful town :)

So how do campaigns in UG take place??

I don't have a TV but I'm guessing their isn't very much commercial bashing like you have in the USA.

We have 8 candidates this year...and the biggest way of advertising is posters, t-shirts, bodas, taxis, lorries with huge speakers, whistles and tree branches...

Yes folks, if you can't hear the campaign from your office window, odds are you will see the long line of traffic and huge trucks stalling traffic with their music, dancing and waving of tree branches...

Taxis fill up followers all wearing the candidates election color, tape the posters to the front grill of their cars, hang branches from their roof racks and have all the passengers stick their heads out of the window blowing matching colored whistles...its quite the production...

Each time I get stuck behind one of these campaign blockades though, I can't help but think to myself...humm...I would be more willing to vote for you people if you made traffic BETTER rather than worse!

haha!

Oh well!!! Let's see if Musevini will take his ba-zillionth term in office...well not ba-zillionth but he has been president of Uganda ever since I was 6 years old so he has been president for almost as long as I have been alive!!

Good ol' election frenzy... I guess I better get used to it sooner rather than later since it will probably last all the way through March!

Condo STILL for Rent!

2010-11-02T08:21:00.005+03:00

Okay...here goes price drop number two...

$1645 per month and you get my place!!

email me at: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net if you are interested!!!

Oluzungu Wange

2010-10-27T20:21:00.002+03:00

"Oluzungu Wange" - I am about 85% that means "my English" in luganda but if it doesn't....have grace on me, Im still learning!

Despite the fact that I can still only greet in Luganda, it is a fact that over the last year and a half, my English HAS changed...

I don't really notice it much, but I think that's because it is a gradual thing...I was actually talking about it with my sisters (Liz & Angie) this past week and we all laughed about it!

So how has it changed...well...this is what we concluded...

1. Its slower...and if you speak to me quickly, sometimes I don't understand a word you are trying to tell me!

2. My accent is different...at least that is what I am told because really...I don't think I had an accent to start with! haha!

3. I use British spellings of English words now and even have my PC set for UK English on the spell check...this plus my bad spelling to start with has made it literally impossible to spell anything at all without spell check so if you find misspellings...have some grace on me!

4. I use new words for old ideas...For instance:

Full stop = A period at the end of a sentence
Shifted = Moved
Flash me = Call me on my cell and hang up before I have a chance to answer it!
Rubber = Eraser
Jam = Traffic
Abused = Talked badly about someone
Funny = Weird
Paining = Hurting

5. I over emphasize personal pronouns...For example, I might say, "For me, I'm tired" or "For you, you are fat"...From what I gather in Luganda lessons its a matter of translating Luganda into English because in Luganda, you double your pronouns for emphasis.

6. I am no longer politically correct...if you are black, I call you black; If you are white, I call you white; if you are some version of Asian, I will probably call you Chinese; if you are overweight, I will probably call you fat...hey...dont get mad...its a cultural thing and well...I have embraced it! Actually here we even distinguish between shades of black, so if you ever hear someone ask me who someone is, I would probably answer and say, you know.."he is the really black one" or "he is the short skinny brown one....!"

But anyways....I am sure there were more but at 9pm that's all I can remember!

I hope that doesn't discourage anyone from calling me cause it is nice to get a long distance person to chat with! I will try to keep up, just please, don't use any new slang, or talk 4,000 words per minute and we should be fine!!

Ahhhh....Saturdays....

2010-10-25T18:11:00.000+03:00

I LOVE Saturdays...not just like them, I LOVE them!!

Why?

Well...there is the obvious reason...Sleeping In!

and the other obvious reason that, if I don't want to think...I really don't have to...

But then there are the other reasons I love Saturdays, ones that may or may not be different from yours...

1. PJ Days...yes, it is true...most Saturdays I stay in my PJs until at least noon...last Saturday it was all day...come on now...don't judge...you know you do it too!

2. Coffee...Saturday is the only day when I make REAL LIFE COFFEE! The rest of the days its good ol' instant which for some reason just isn't that good.

3. Conversations...Saturday is the day I get to sit and chat with my friends, my sister and my house help...I learn more about their lives, we usually have some conversation related to or about the bible, and we share laughs and jokes together!

4. Breakfast...Saturdays is also the day that I get to spend the most time with my sister Barbara...we usually collaborate and come up with a breakfast plan of bacon, sausage, eggs, fruit, and some sort of bread...all ready to eat at the early morning time of NOON :) and yes...we are usually in our PJs for breakfast! :)

5. Visitors...If you haven't guessed by now, the good news of lazy Saturdays has gotten out and Barbara and I usually have someone we know drop by to share in our fun...last weekend we had Joseline who shamed us by going out for an early morning run while we slept, we had our youngest sister Angie who stayed with us for the week and has truly embraced our sleeping in motto, we had Alema (my house help), and Alema's daughter Rida...it soooo great to hang out with family, friends and neighbors!!

SO...even though it is just Tuesday as I type this...I am looking forward to Saturday again :) AND while it is rare to see a picture taken of any of us on our lazy days, Alema's daughter took a snap of me and I of her as we captured pictures of each other's big Saturday Smiles :)

Miracles DO happen...

2010-10-22T17:56:00.001+03:00

And this one happened to be from none other than the Ugandan Post Office...

I can't tell you how many times things come squished or ripped or not at all but today I had to smile at my ripped letter...

Not because it was ripped BUT because it had been sealed in a plastic envelope and on the back was a signed letter of apology from the post office for any inconvenience the ripped envelope caused me...

It was a miracle and actually made me really excited for the accountability, integrity and customer service skills that this employee at Posta Uganda actually displayed!

WELL DONE!

Keep Up the Good work...

And for those of you who live in Uganda and don't believe that I am telling the truth right now...here is a picture to prove it :) haha! See!!! Miracles DO happen!

Shaken NOT Stirred...

2010-10-18T21:35:00.002+03:00

I went to fill my gas tank last week and drove away chuckling...

Why?

Something new happened that has never happened to me before!

I drove up, popped open the tank release, rolled down my window and asked the petrol attendant to fill up my tank...

Now in UG they love to get it really really full...today was no exception BUT I think the attendant I had was trying to get a gold medal in filling tanks to their maximum capacity...

When the counter started slowing and I thought for sure the attendant had filled it to its capacity I started to pull out my money to pay but rather than coming to the window to tell me my balance the attendant comes to my window and says "I shake??"

"I Shake??"" I think to my self, hum...this is a new one, so I repeated what he said and sure enough, I got it right the first time...curious as to what he was talking about I said "SURE!" with confidence...

Lets say, I wasnt expecting what I got, because at my resounding, "sure" the man started shaking or more like rocking my car back and forth...

I felt like a milkshake or a martini getting jostled about in the front seat...riding out the waves...

Then after his shaking, he proceeded to squeeze in an additional 300 shillings (approx 15cents) of petrol into my tank...

Yep, my tank was definitely as full as it was going to get, I paid and off I drove, with a little chuckle and a smile!

Just another reason why I love Uganda!!

Funding Update...

2010-10-12T19:31:00.000+03:00

Hello All!

I just want to say thank you to the 88 people who make it possible for me to live and volunteer here in Uganda! The last 6 months or so have been tight as I was only operating at 80% of my budget but due to new donors this past month I am up to 96%!!!

Thank you soooo much for being apart of this ministry! I believe in the work at GBI and I know that all of you do as well!!

As we would say in Uganda...

Weebale Nnyo!!

Introducing Doreen...

2010-10-09T19:53:00.000+03:00

Ankunda Doreen is another of GBI’s Child Development students.

Her name Ankunda means “He loves me” and indeed she also loves children. She works as a primary school teacher and has wanted to minister to children for most of her life. When asked what she likes most about working with children she said that she enjoys preaching the Word of God to them as well as praising and worshipping God with them.

Even though the Child Development course has only been in session for 1 month, she says she has learned so much. The course that has influenced her the most?

Special Needs Children!

Doreen admits that she didn’t know that children with special needs could do anything but now she says that she sees everyone equally in God’s eyes. “Normal? What really is Normal, there isn’t such a thing”, she says with confidence.

Now I can minister to children better and by the end of my 2 years at GBI I will be equipped with the knowledge I need to serve and transform the children in my community to the glory of God.

Child Development Testimonies...

2010-10-06T19:44:00.000+03:00

The Child Development Program has been running for 1 month now and we have some very excited students because of it...

That being said, let me introduce Thomas Ojok!

Thomas Ojok is one of Gaba Bible Institute’s newest students. He, along with 12 others, are the founding class of the 2 year child development diploma program that was just launched in September 2010.

If you ever have the opportunity to ask Thomas about children or about Child development you will see a vibrant smile and passion come pouring out of him.

Thomas has been working with a Christian NGO called “Children of the Nations” for the last four years where he serves as the only male role model and “uncle” to 56 children and youth between the ages of 4 and 16.

Thomas says that it is his passion to study more about children, to see them grow and to be able to equip them to transform his society. "Our children are a source of wealth to our society, but yet, most Ugandan’s do not understand this," Thomas says, "it takes knowledge and training for us to fully understand God’s design and plan for our children. I am so blessed to study Child Development, it often brings tears to my eyes as I read and study all that God has laid before me. God has called me to serve our children; it is my purpose in life. When I have the education, I can lead a generation and that is why I am at GBI!"

Causes???

2010-10-03T13:34:00.000+03:00

I have to admit...I like FB...

It for some reason is one of the only information sources I get on what is happening in the lives of the people back in Cali...

If it wasn't for FB, I wouldn't know who was engaged, who got married, and who is having kids...

It really is a great way for me to stay connected so that when I go back for visits to Cali, I wont be 3 years behind in all the news...

That being said...FB causes REALLY REALLY drive me crazy!

I get cause invitations from people like...

"Save kids from HIV" or "Stop violence against women"

Yet all these people do on FB is say they "like" the cause and in some way they feel like they have done something about it...Maybe its just me but I don't think that God would like FB Causes either...

After all He wanted us to take action, to live our faith out in action and deeds...not just to say you like a cause and act as if by "liking" something it is going to make the problem go away!

What I would really like is a note, or a blog post telling what you tangibly did to help save kids from HIV or stop violence against women...its what you DO not what you SAY that will make a difference in this broken world...

OKAY...I am going to step off my soap box now...but seriously people...please don't send me those FB Causes...it really annoys me and in all reality, I will probably just push ignore anyways...

My Family

2010-09-30T07:01:00.001+03:00

I know that God is a God of Families...

How do I know this?

It seems that wherever I go, no matter how near or far...God always provides me with a family.

As you all know I have a village mama...Mama Jane, who along with my kids gave me the name Mirembe... I love spending time with her but being that she lives 2 hours away from me now, I only see her every few months.

I guess God thought I needed family more than every few months though and so for the past several months now I have been adopted into the Kasekende family!! So my full Ugandan name is now Mirembe Kasekende :)

How did this happen??

I made friends with my neighbors :)

After a couple of months, one of them invited me to their family Sunday Lunch and the rest is history...I now have a standing engagement every Sunday afternoon for a family meal.

I love my new family and I am so very thankful to God for yet another home!

Let me introduce them to you...

Left to Right: Liz, Mum, Me, Angela, Barbara, Dad - Here we were Celebrating Mum's Birthday and Father's Day all in one at a great new restuarant!

Here is Mum and I at Emin Pasha...watching Barbara awe the crowd with her beautiful voice!

Dad and I...Not sure what we were laughing about but I know we had a great time!

My Sister Barbara...when we celebrated her 30th bday! We are both 1980 babies :)

My other two sisters (Liz & Angie)...enjoying our lunchtime conversations with each other!

Taking a Hit...

2010-09-27T19:35:00.001+03:00

When I left for Uganda I took alot of hits about it...

People thought I was crazy, other's couldn't understand how I would leave a good paying job, or my comfy condo...but over the last year and a half most have come to understand why I did it and the good that has come of it...

There are still others though, who love to bash people that they just don't understand. So once again I find myself trying to defend what I do and why I do it...

I am glad that the disciples were questioned and often had accusations made against them when they left for their missionary journeys...

I know I have big shoes to fill!! I just pray that I will have a good attitude toward those who desire hurt me and mock the things I do.

Joburg

2010-09-23T19:11:00.001+03:00

Despite the fact that Johannesburg, S.Africa is pretty much every list I came across as the 10 most dangerous cities in the whole world, I was surpised at how much it looked like LA...

1. LA is for the most part old and made of concrete...so is Joburg

2. LA is a desert...very dry and usually brown...so is Joburg

3. LA has crowded roads full of nice cars...so does Joburg

4. LA has big malls, McDonalds, KFC, and theatres of all types...so does Joburg

5. LA is host to drugs, graffity & sketchy neighborhoods...so is Joburg

6. LA is host to the Santa Ana winds and while the Santa Ana's arent in Joburg, it is surprisingly hot and windy just like LA.

So really...even though I was in S.Africa for work, it really was like taking a trip back to my home town of LA...I left complete with a tummy full of McD's, chapped lips and dry skin...ready for Uganda with its moister air and preservative-free food once again :)

The Search is ON!

2010-09-19T18:50:00.003+03:00

A couple of months ago I heard of a book about a Jewish guy who set out to live out an entire year according to the bible...from what I was told, he followed all the old testament rules as literally as possible and gained a deeper understanding of Christianity as a result.

I forgot about the book until just this past week when it was brought up in another one of my conversations, so being in Jo'berg, I decided to check out the 5 bookstores in the local mall to see if I couldn't get a copy for myself...

About a day later, and with 2 sore feet, I am now convinced it is not for sale in the East Rand Mall!!! I did however find a huge stack of Francis' crazy love book on sale for the bargain price of 109 Rand...but I digress...

The only place this book seems to exist is online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both of which do not ship to Uganda :(

SO as a second option, I checked out the guy's website...making me want to read the book even more but definitely solidifying the fact that even though this guy lived out the bible for the year, he missed the good news of it entirely...

What did he conclude about living biblically after a year...well...according to his web page...for him it meant he had to:

wear sandals
eat Ezekiel bread
play a 10-string harp
carry a staff
drink goat's milk
wear a biblical looking robe
burn myrrh
light your house with olive oil lamps
sit on a handy seat
taste some kosher crickets
and avoid lustful movies

That is all the list said...I was kind of amazed that there was nothing in there about loving your neighbor or carrying for orphans & widows...despite his obvious holes...I still think it may be an entertaining read, and definitely a book I will continue to look for in bookstores nearest me :)

You can find out more about the book at:
http://www.ajjacobs.com/books/yolb.asp?id=live

Condo for Rent

2010-09-03T04:26:00.006+03:00

After a great first tenant experience, my tenants were able to purchase their first home and my place is now available to rent again!

It is being offered at a REDUCED PRICE!!!

$1,695 per month with $1,000 security depost!!!

Here are some pics of the place:

It is important that I get the place rented as soon as possible so if you are interested, or someone you know is interested...please feel free to contact me at: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

Here are some of the details:

2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Canoga Park California
1,218 sq ft
Hardwood floors throughout
Granite in kitchen and baths
his/her sinks
wood burning fireplace
all appliances included (refridge, stove, microwave, washer/dryer)
free water
shared pool/jacuzzi
2 balconies
2 underground parking spaces
central ac/heat
top floor unit in a quiet building
Available October 1, 2010
Security check and 1 year lease required
Sorry...no pets allowed

Price: $1,695 per month with $1,000 security deposit required
This is below what I pay on it every month so you are getting a deal!!!

Contact: 8710rental@sbcglobal.net

Its begun...

2010-09-02T20:28:00.002+03:00

This week was the start of Term 2 at GBI...It's bizarre to me as I see students applying to spend their first 2 years in college studying a program that I just finished writing...

The student side of me questions whether I even have enough education to write college programs while the teacher side of me wonders how all the ideas for each course will actually transfer out of my brain and into our professors' brains...

All I know is that this thing can't be from me...it's impossible...it's from God and while I had a tiny hand in it...I know he is the one who put it all together and will continue it for the years to come!

I am excited to see where our students are in 2 years when the first class of child development majors graduate!

I am excited to see how God will continue to use me, despite my pitfalls and inadequacies, and more importantly I am excited to see how this generation of grads will transform generations to come!

"Hi, My Name is Lena and I eat bugs"

2010-08-27T18:28:00.003+03:00

No this is not some type of AA confession but something that I realized I am getting more and more okay with as time goes on...

Now my friends in India just posted a blog about how they became vegetarians when they moved to India...I must confess...this blog is going in a completely opposite direction of theirs but still...it will make for some good reading (I hope :)

As Americans I know most of us get a little squeamish to the idea of eating bugs...but what I find is that Americans are probably the only people on earth who think eating bugs are gross...notice I didn't say they are the only ones on earth who don't eat bugs...cause even though we like to think we don't, we all eat some...either on accident or on purpose...

I did a little research...just in case you are curious... http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272_v121/ai_13953408/?tag=content;col1

How did my "revelation" come about....well...if you read my blog you have probably noticed that I have had my share of bug stories...bugs in my popcorn kernels, bugs in my kitchen, d-worming medication and the works...

What you don't know is that I knowingly eat bugs on occasion...not because I want to, but because it is a part of life...

For example...I eat ants at least twice a week...not because I like the way they taste but rather because at least twice a week there is some poor little ant carcass stuck to the side of my matoke at lunch and rather than be an annoying white person, who will waste perfectly good food because their is a dead ant stuck to it, I usually just cover it with some sauce and munch away...a little extra protein right??

Today however, I think I hit a low point in my bug consumption....and NO i didn't buy a cup of grasshoppers on the side of the road to much on...

I opened up a much anticipated box of corn meal, and well...the contents practically crawled out of the box, into my mixing bowl...

My first instinct...and probably to most of you reading this will come as some surprise but my first instinct wasn't to throw the box away but rather to try and pick those bugs out with a spoon...but once I started my endeavor I realized there were to many for my spoon method to be successful...

Instinct 2...and no...it still wasn't to throw the box out...rather it was to use my metal strainer to sift them out...well...lets just say my metal strainer doesn't have small enough holes...but it did catch some...which was when I realized there were three different types of bugs taking up residence in my corn meal and not just one like I originally thought....there were some brown ones -I'm guessing they were baby weevils, long white ones that looked a little like centipedes just not as gross, and really tiny ones that looked like walking pieces of grain.

Instinct 3...find a smaller strainer...which I did at my neighbors house, but well...it was a little too small so not even the corn meal went through...

Instinct 4...use the metal strainer over and over until it comes up clean...then at least I know I got all the adults and teenager sized bugs...the rest...well...what could they hurt right?? After all, this is going in the oven and they will all die anyway!

So that is just what I did! Anyone up for dinner at my house tonight???!! haha...

It was fine...don't worry...I didn't die!

As I finished up my meal, I came to a new juncture in the my "I eat bugs" road...what to do with the rest of the box of corn meal?? Toss it, keep it....humm....lets keep it...I repeated Instinct steps 1-4 but instead of killing them by fire, this time I decided I would put the sifted corn meal into a bag and freeze em to death...so at this very moment, my visitors are dying a slow and hopefully agonizing death in my freezer...

The next step....buy a medium sized strainer so that once they have all frozen to death, I can sift them out and enjoy some corn bread free of bug carcasses!

Ahhh...isn't life an adventure?? It sure would be boring if everything worked out perfectly every time!

Refridgerator Funk?

2010-08-22T19:21:00.002+03:00

I am officially annoyed, as you can probably tell...

But seriously, my refrigerator is driving me CraAzYY!

It all started at the end of June when I got back from Malaysia...

And yes, I know what you are thinking...oops! You left something to rot in there BUT really I didn't!

I made sure all the fresh food products were gone before I left to avoid "funky-ness" when I return, yet when I opened my dear college dorm sized fridge, there it was...

You know, the type of smell that you know SOMETHING went bad, but you can't quite identify what exactly that SOMETHING was??

So I hunted through the fridge and found a plastic bag with a green piece of cheese hiding behind a container of juice...yeah! I thought with satisfied relief...my funk is GONE!

For about a week I was as happy as could be until that exact same funk came back...again, I went on the hunt, this time finding absolutely nothing but still trying to do something, I through away a few things that may have been close to being bad...

again, the scent left...for a WEEK!

So this weekend in a desperate dash I through away everything but the wrapped cheese and scrubbed down all the shelves...lets hope that it solves my problem otherwise I really might go off the deep end!

Oh dear...I can't tell you how much I hate fridge funk!

Cool Blog...

2010-08-20T17:23:00.002+03:00

A friend of mine posted this blog to her facebook and well...I was very entertained...

This girl has committed herself to buy a $1 outfit, every day for the next 365 days, she then modifies them and makes them fit her...

I could only imagine how much fun she would have here in UG with our used items!! Maybe she needs to come and outfit us!

haha!

Enjoy!

www.newdressaday.wordpress.com

Evil Weevil!!!

2010-08-18T07:31:00.000+03:00

So if you know me, you know I am quite the fan of popcorn....um um....I love it! Seriously!

So, needless to say, I have had some experience buying popcorn!

Two weeks ago, I bought my popcorn in a different store...one I know and trust of course...but yet last week when I opened up the bag and poured the kernels into my Tupperware, I noticed something...

Little tiny holes on the popcorn kernels...odd...I think to my self...

As I keep pouring, I am moving the kernels around to make space for each one of them in the container and I come across 1 little black bug...

Humm...okay...what's one black bug...I kill it and continue to pour...

Another black bug...

Then another...

As I start to kill these bugs (which by the way look like tiny versions of triceratops with some weird points on their heads I realize that those little holes in my popcorn kernels aren't just there on accident...

In fact, as I moved the popcorn more and more, I realized each kernel was home to a little bug and so the more bugs I smashed, more and more kept pouring out.

I had never, in all my life thought that bugs could live in popcorn kernels...so last night I decided to do a little Internet detective work to uncover the truth about my unwanted friends...

Now...in case you want to know...typing in bugs in popcorn kernels doesn't work very well...but after about 20 minutes of persistence I found what I was looking for...my unwanted friends are weevils and apparently their favorite foods are popcorn and rice. Who knew!

I think the term "evil weevil" works for me!

I am not a very good "capture it on film" kinda girl...but i found a picture of these evil weevils during my Internet search...if you ever see one in your popcorn...know that all his friends are in hiding in the other kernels, throw away the bag, and start over!

Just some advice from someone who now has experience in the subject!

Muzungu...

2010-08-15T20:00:00.000+03:00

Contrary to what most visitor's to Uganda think...the term "muzungu" isn't really a compliment...sorry to break it to you if you bought one of the "muzungu" shirts at the craft markets...BUT the truth is...

While most white people take it to mean just simply "white person", that is not quite an accurate translation of the word...

What it really means, based on conversations I have had with some of my Ugandan friends, is roughly "obnoxious rich white person"

AND I have to say, its not something I really enjoy being called.

Most of the time, you will see young children yelling "muzungu" to a white person with their hand held out...a sign they are wanting a little extra spending cash that day.

As a year long resident of Uganda, I was pleasantly surprised when the young children on the end of my road stopped calling me a muzungu a few months ago and now just greet me when I drive by with a smile, a wave and a "hi" or "bye"...a sign that I am being more and more accepted in the community here and I love it!!

The thing that bugs me...is the one "christian" guy who enjoys doing business with the white missionary folk because he can rip them off...my goal this next year or so...

Is to get him to stop greeting me by the name muzungu...honestly...that would really make me one happy camper!

Duncan's Big Day...

2010-08-11T19:37:00.002+03:00

Duncan joined us at GBI this past May as our Head of Community Development Programs and has quickly become one of the gang here at work.

Some of us have nicknamed my brother "trouble" as he loves to tease people and make them laugh. Any given day you may hear Duncan call me "Sir" or me call him "Ma'am"...not because I get my luganda mixed up but rather because Duncan just likes to be silly...as a result, we have bonded and are in great anticipation as we eagerly await Duncan's big day on 21st Aug...otherwise known as the wedding day!

We are in full swing around here, the girls deciding what they will wear for the events (the give away and the wedding) and the men...well...they like to give Duncan pointers for his soon to be married life and tell him he needs to be more tidy as a married man :)

I am privileged to be invited to the give away, which is happening 2 days before the wedding. The give away is a party thrown by the bride's family, in which the husband to be brings "his people" to come and officially accept the bride from her family.

From what I am told, certain people have certain tasks at the give away...there are people who are there to keep the groom calm, people there to receive the bride, and much much more.

I am told my job is to receive Charity for Duncan. I don't yet know all that it entails but I am happy to do it as his adopted sister and very honoured that he chose me for such an important task!

I am sure there will be lots of pictures taken...so stay tuned for updates & pictures as Duncan's Big Day quickly approaches!

Hairstyles...

2010-08-06T10:16:00.002+03:00

In the last year I have come to realize that Ugandans like my hair in 3 particular states, and despite no matter what new "do" I come up with, I usually only get complements on my hair when it fits into these 3 "styles"...

1. It's wet
2. It's greasy
3. It's plated (braided)

Yes folks, its true...

On those mornings when I am organized and have time to wash my hair before work, I usually hear, "Thank you Lena, for washing your hair this morning..." from my good friend Joseline...and despite what you think, its not because its been a long time between washings but rather because she likes the "wet" look...She even told me one day that my hair would look so nice all day if only I brought a spray bottle with me and wet it throughout the day! Ahhh, how I love Joseline!

A few weeks ago, I went a whooping two days without washing my hair...due mostly to the fact that I was being lazy...On day two of my hair washing strike, I have to admit that my hair was a little greasy...and so tied it back and went on my way, knowing in the back of my mind, that I didn't look my best. That day, I got three complements on how nice my hair looked and that I should style it that way all the time...so yes folks, the slick, wet, greasy look is in and if you want to look cute around here...throw in a little extra grease in your hair and continue on your merry way :)

Of course the third, and my prized hair style is the plated one (Braided)...and all it takes is a few bags of synthetic hair, 10 hours of sitting, and about $10...

The point of the story...I will probably never be considered cute in Uganda...at least in area of hair...

Oh well!!

GBI...

2010-07-28T19:33:00.002+03:00

GBI is expanding quickly!

We have new programs starting, new books in the library, tons of new staff and hopefully in a few weeks...tons of new students and teachers!

10 teacher interviews down today...a few more tomorrow :)...I am blessed to be apart of what God is doing here in Uganda!

For more info on our ministry, check us out at:
www.gbiuganda.org

Blogger Blocks

2010-07-26T21:05:00.004+03:00

Usually I am not at a loss for words but it seems as if I have hit a block in creativity the last two weeks or so...

SOOO...Don't give up on me and this little blog of mine...

I promise more to come in the near future!!

Java Cafe...

2010-07-13T08:42:00.000+03:00

Oh how sad you made me!

When I walked with a bounce in my step back into your store after a long 3 weeks in Malaysia and discovered that my iced mocha was no longer 5500/= (approx $2.50) but rather 8500/= (approx $4.50)!

Last I checked I wasn't in a Starbucks??

I hope you lose business with your $4.50 iced mocha and go back to the way things were when we all happily sipped ice coffee for a bargain price of $2.50!

Praise God for Colds…

2010-07-12T16:08:00.000+03:00

As some of you may have heard on the news…the final football matches ended with some bangs here in Kampala…and not good ones.

As the night ended reports tell us that there are close to 70 dead here as a result of 2 bombings on civilians watching the final match.

One of the places hit, the Ethiopian Village in kabalagala, is a place I have been frequenting often for football matches…They have good Ethiopian food and a huge projector screen for viewing. On any given evening there are close to 100 people there cheering for their favorites teams.

I had made plans to be there for the final match as well, as I had for the last 5 matches, but this past week I have had a head cold and so I thought being out until midnight again, in the cold air wouldn’t be good for my plan of getting better.

I cancelled my plans at 9:20….10 minutes before the match began, put on my PJs and crawled into bed.

Around midnight my neighbor called me…I was half awake and half asleep and so I didn’t understand what she was asking me…I just grunted a few times and went back to sleep…I guess I sounded delirious because around 1:30 she called me again…this time I heard the question…

“ARE YOU IN YOUR BED SLEEPING???”

Yeah…why? Was my response…

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay…and you were in your bed”

I thought her question was funny, but I figured she was good intentioned.

It wasn’t until 6am when another friend of mine called me and disrupted my sleep…

“ARE YOU ALIVE???”

Huh….

By this, the 3rd interruption, I decided something wasn’t quite right and so I started asking questions…

It was then that I realized what happened…

The news had broadcast that the Ethiopian village restaurant was bombed and that an American was killed…my friends all thought it might be me, since they knew that was my favorite place to watch the matches.

As I hung up the phone, fully awake with shock I could only thank God for my cold and for His watch care over me…without that cold I would have been in the middle of that restaurant with all the others who were innocently attacked.

They haven’t yet released the names of my fellow patrons; all I know is that the newspapers here are riddled with pictures of victims, dead in their chairs. I am thankful that so far, I haven’t recognized any of the dead.

Praise God for my sniffles and please be praying for the 70 families that have lost loved ones because of this terribly tragic event.

I made it!

2010-07-10T08:25:00.000+03:00

On July 1st I crossed my first milestone and official hit my 1 year anniversary of living in Uganda!

I can't believe that a year has passed!

It has been 365 days since I last saw a Best Buy, a Walmart, a Target, a Costco, a drive through restaurant...and well...many other things!

BUT even without those things, life here is good and I love seeing all that God has planned for me fall into place!

I've been told that I am Ugandan now...not because I have lived here for a year but because of the way I have become one with the people. It was a real honor to hear that, as there are missionaries who have been here for many many many years and are still considered a "muzungu" or "rich white person"

I am glad my muzungu days are behind me and looking forward to what God has in store for me in year 2 :)

Restored!

2010-07-07T08:16:00.000+03:00

A few months ago I got a new computer to replace my 5 year old dying PC...good idea? I thought so!

I was wrong...after the excitement of finding someone to bring the PC to me and actually getting it in my hands, I opened it and started the fun...the fun of freezes, crashes and blue screens...

Basically I got a lemon!

The tech guy and I have pretty much emailed back and forth since then...him trying to figure out why the thing freezes and me trying to figure out how to use it for more than 30 minutes without it locking up...

Its been a mess!

So last week we hit the final straw...and they asked me to wipe it clean and just put in windows again...then to let them know what happened, if it froze they would send me a new hard drive, if not...then the was problem on my end that they couldn't figure out why.

I am sure you can guess what happened....a few days latter, I was back up to 10 freezes in one afternoon!

Then the dell man said something that almost made me do a happy dance in the middle of my bed...rather than sending out a new hard drive he wants to send me a replacement computer!

OH HAPPY DAY!

Mr Dell Tech Man, you have restored my faith in the Dell world and I am once again, a satisfied Dell customer!

Now I just have to be patient...5 weeks til I get my new computer :) I can't wait!

Football!

2010-07-05T08:48:00.000+03:00

I have embraced the popular sport of football here in Uganda...a huge accomplishment since I am normally opposed to watching any sport on TV!

I have to say, it is very entertaining however, to watch football on a screen as big as one you would find in a movie theatre, with a crowd of about 100 Ethiopians & Ugandans with huge blow horns and noise makers!

We had loads of fun...until the penalty shoot out and well...

Lets just say there was sadness the night Ghana lost the world cup for all of Africa...who ever will we all cheer for now???

I don't think any of us know yet!

Yeah God!!!

2010-07-03T08:13:00.002+03:00

This past week, GBI received news from the National Council of Higher Education in Uganda and well....

WE DID IT!

We now have a provisional license for accreditation in Uganda making us 1 in the elite 7 who are accredited!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers as GBI pushes forwarded :)

QUOTE

2010-06-28T08:16:00.000+03:00

I came across a quote that I really liked the other day...its a good one, based on Paul's message to the Corinthians (2 cor 1):

"I absolutely despaired of life. Yes, and when I asked, What shall be the end? the whispered answer of my heart was, Death. This taught me to rely no more on my own strength, but upon God alone, for He can raise up men actually dead!" - Way

Airport Adventures

2010-06-25T08:50:00.002+03:00

Lets just say, its good to be back home!!!

I took a tour of 5 airports, in 4 countries, on 3 continents...and I did it all in 24 hours, with a 25kg carry on!

I made it back in one piece which was nice, but have a bruise on my arm that resembles the strap on my carry-on bag, proof of its sheer weight!

I am grateful to all my fellow passengers, who saw me lifting my carry-on full of books over my head into the bins and joined in to help with the task!

I am also grateful to good ol' Emirates for not enforcing their 7kg carry on limit!

Ahh! The joys of traveling!

Joni & Friends International Disability Conference

2010-06-20T16:08:00.000+03:00

GBI Is Pleased to Announce our first Joni & Friends Conference!!

21st - 24th June 2010!

It is such a pleasure to join with organizations around the world as we equip and train christian leaders to transform our society!

We originally planned to train 50 workers but demand was so high, that we are well over that number now.

Please be praying for the trainers and the students during this fantastic opportunity to learn more about God, more about Theology of suffering & disability, and more about how to practically serve the disabled here in Uganda!

Fish Food???

2010-06-18T15:57:00.003+03:00

Sometimes I wonder about fish...

Have you??

God made them to eat all the algae and nastiness on the sides of rocks, glass tanks and the works...Its kinda gross if you think about it...

And while it may sound strange, I started thinking about the caste system and how it might look in the fish world...which fish is upper class and who is in the untouchables class??

AND Yes...I really am blogging about this...but really I think I have an answer...

Here is my proposed fish caste system...

1. Upper Class...Fish in the Ocean...Who eat Ocean Algae
2. Middle Class...Fish in a Fish Tank...Who eat the nastiness growing on the fish tank glass

3. Lower Class...Fish in a Fish Spa...Who eat...well...

How should I put it...

They eat the nastiness (bacteria) and dead skin on people's feet...

Yes folks...I said it...They eat Foot Funk!

How do I know this??

Apparently it's a popular therapy in Malaysia...and well...I think the fish liked my African Foot Funk...

Take a look:

Here's another thought...if all of creation is created to sing praises to God, and bring him all Glory and Honor...does that mean that my foot funk, is enabling these fish to bring glory to God, because through it, they are doing what God created them to do??

huh...It is kinda crazy...but really the whole time I was watching them eat junk off my feet I was watching them...their little mouths, and how they chewed...it was AMAZING! And my friends, only God could create something as cool as that!

So here's to my foot funk...and the lowly caste of fish in the fish spa...all of which praise God in their own special way :)

10%

2010-06-16T15:46:00.000+03:00

That's how many in Malaysia are Christians...the rest are Islamic, Muslim, Buddhist, etc...

You can tell by walking around the worship of other gods...most stores have their shrines by the front door as you walk in.

If you miss the small individual shrines, you can look on most streets and see the presence of temples and mosques.

Today I was talking to someone who has lived here for 12 years...He said that their are three types of people here:

1. Malay
2. Indian
3. Chinese

Of these, the Indians and Chinese have a free choice of the religion they practice...The Malay's don't however...All their identification is automatically marked as Islamic...it is illegal to be anything else...

Recently a Malay woman, who has been a christian for 20 years tried to get her identification card changed to Christian...it was overturned in the high court and she was told not to make rash decisions.

Pray for the people here...its sad that such a modern, industrialized place still has such a closed mind to the gospel!

A New Revelation…

2010-06-13T00:42:00.000+03:00

As I sat in the Dubai Airport…a very Muslim country as you may know…
I was struck by the beauty of a woman walking with her husband in the terminal.

Now I can’t say that it was her face that caught my attention…but it was a gracefulness about her.
The way she slowly strolled along, with confidence in her step.

She was wearing a simple black outfit…you may have seen them…the ones that very conservative Muslims wear…where all you see is a rectangle around her eyes.

It made me think of all the ways that people try and get attention. How people try to get noticed because of their hair, their makeup, their clothes, their figures, etc…

Yet, this woman didn’t get my attention because of any of these reasons…she was beautiful to me, even if I have no idea what she looked like under her attire.

She walked tall, She had a bounce in her step…

As Christians, we should be that way…graceful because who is in us, not because of how we look or the attention we are trying to get externally.

Part of me wanted to grab some black outfits and throw them on everybody…

If we covered ourselves up, and played the game on a level field, how could I tell who you are, without all the external “beauty” helps…

After all, God says that beauty comes from within, if we really all believed that, and I mean believed it in our gut, we would also have a confident stroll as we glide down the terminal with Jesus in our hearts…

I smelled, I tasted...I conquered??

2010-06-11T16:50:00.004+03:00

All week I have been hearing a debate here in Malaysia...

It is pretty evenly divided...half say: "JUST SAY NO TO DURIAN"

and the other half say: "DURIAN, THE KING OF ALL FRUIT"

The debate is so heated that they even made a dorm rule...

"NO DURIAN IN ANY SCHOOL REFRIGERATOR!"

So well...Today I went to a food mart with 3 students from Penang and they bought some Durian for me to taste...

...AND let me just say...its almost indescribable...

Knowing me though, I will try to paint a picture...

We get to the food stand, and there are sealed containers of Durian Fruit. The woman at the stand insists that it is the King of all Fruits, so one of the girls I was with picked up the container and opened the lid...The smell...

Well...It smelled like a cross between rotting jackfruit and dirty socks...have to say...the smell in no way gave off the impression of "King" unless it was King Tut and he had been rotting for a few hundred years....

BUT despite the smell, I agreed to try this one of a kind, King of all Fruits..

After our meal...out came the container of Durian...and off came the lid...HELLO SMELL

But as promised I grabbed my piece of fruit...

And again, was very very surprised...It was peeled already and looked like an internal organ of some type...maybe liver??

And as I picked it up, it was squishy, so squishy in fact the my fingers disappeared into the gooey texture of the fruit

There was an outer layer, of something?? Maybe skin?? Then the inside, which was equivalent to a room-warm cheesecake texture.

As I bit into it, the fruit, as cheesecake would, it dissolved in my mouth without needing any chewing whatsoever...it tasted like it smelled at first...with a weird sour pineapple flavor at the end.

I ate the whole thing, and came to a large seed pod at the end...thinking to myself, okay...if you don't smell the thing when you eat it...its not TO bad, that is if you can get over the texture...

BUT then, I did the thing that everyone told me not too...I burped...I couldn't help it...and like garlic that lingers...my breath smelled & tasted like the rotting fruit and sock mixture that I had just consumed...

My opinion, now that I have experienced Durian for myself is...

1. I am glad its not allowed in the dorm refrigerator, and
2. I am a "JUST SAY NO TO DURIAN" kinda girl...

For all my lovely friends out there...if you see the King of Fruit...run in the opposite direction and breathe through your mouth!!

GBI Partners...

2010-06-09T16:14:00.001+03:00

GBI is now part of the HCD (Holistic Child Development) Global Alliance!!!

Check out there website for more information!

http://hcd-alliance.org/

The Curriculum Reviewers...

2010-06-06T16:05:00.000+03:00

The Curriculum Review Team that met in Mukono, Uganda. These 19 people represent 7 African countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia, & South Africa), and 14 Colleges & Universities all offering programs in Holistic Child Development.

GBI is all about partnerships! We truly believe that it is in relationship with each other that we can transform our society with the good news of Jesus and so many of our interactions are geared at partnering with the community around us. As a part of these partnerships, GBI is now working in the area of HCD, or Holistic Child Development. What we found with working with others is that in a community largely made up of children, there are very few formal training programs that train Christian workers to care for and minister to children. As we embarked on this new area of study at GBI, we found an elite few, worldwide, that are also embarking on the journey with us. Our common interests in training up workers to minister to at-risk children resulted in the creation of board of people, all participating in the work of formal training, from certificate level all the way up to the Master’s degree level. GBI is privileged to join this group of people, who represent 7 African countries, and 14 universities. Our goal is to unite our curriculum, as well as to work together in changing the negative way in which children are viewed in the churches and communities around us. It is just one area that GBI, and the Christian community is striving for excellence in equipping the Christian leaders in our society!

2 am Observations...

2010-06-03T00:23:00.001+03:00

Here are some observations I made, either in the air or in the airport today…
Just thought you might enjoy my ramblings!

Reasons why Emirates airlines are the best ever…

The ceiling of the airplane is purple and has little star lights
They have over 200 free movies to watch
AND, they let you watch the movie as soon as you sit down…no waiting for take off or any of that jazz…
They have electrical sockets on the back of each seat for you to charge your laptop or other electrical devices while you fly
They feed you A LOT! On my first flight…an hour and a half flight, they feed me two sandwiches, on the second flight, which was just under 4 hours they feed me a full meal with desert…I’m just saying…
They fly into Dubai…which I think is best described as a bigger, better, Vegas…
The Dubai Airport…equally as amazing with indoor water falls, Starbucks, McDonalds and all those other big name brands: Rolex, Channel…and some others that well…just aren’t as important to me as STARBUCKS and McDONALDS…Hey…don’t Judge, I haven’t seen one in a year!!
When you turn on your cell phone, they send you an SMS text welcoming you to the U.A.E. and tell you to enjoy your stay!
The airport has FREE wireless internet…come on now….that’s value!

My downside to flying Emirates…

Well…It’s my #5…They feed you A LOT…which makes you happy at first BUT when you get to my happy place #7…you realize that you see the McD’s, AND you REALLY, and I mean REALLY want to have some chicken nuggets and French fries, along with a frappacino and you just have NO and I do mean NO space in your stomach for any of it…Now that’s just not fair!!! It’s like the florescent M is mocking me!

Maybe if I do some jumping jacks in the terminal I may make some space in my tummy for a 4 piece…

Signing out, stuffed and mocked…at 2am…

Introducing Our Newest Diploma

2010-06-02T15:07:00.000+03:00

It is a first for GBI...the launch of our new community development programs meant to equip christian workers all over Uganda.

So for all those curious minds out there...

Here is our Newest Child Development Diploma:

For more info on GBI, our programs and opportunites for ministry, visit us at: www.gbiuganda.org

"Do not pass go...do not collect $200"

2010-05-23T12:59:00.003+03:00

I was reminded of the game monopoly today...

Uganda redesigned its curency and released it this past monday. I have been waiting to catch a glimpse of it the entire week and today I saw one of our new bills...

They are about half the size of our old ones...making them about the same size as monopoly money and to top it off...they are all different colors as well.

We have blue billa, purple ones, yellow ones, etc...

Im curious who designed our new currency...maybe parker brothers??

Either way, its gonna take some getting used to...I feel like I am 10 years old again, trying to buy a home on park place avenue!

let's hope I pass go this time...and collect $200...haha!

Here's a video...if you are interested in seeing what our new currency looks like :)

Flash Back

2010-05-22T23:04:00.000+03:00

I believe it was 2003 or 2004 when I heard the very first choir from Uganda sing...

They came to my church in Simi Valley, California.

It was a group of children from Africa Renewal Ministries...located in Gaba Uganda.

I remember the concert they gave, along with the testimonies they shared of their lives and challenges.

I can truly say that something changed in me that day.

My heart felt.

My eyes saw.

And my hands wanted nothing more than to give.

It was then that I knew I HAD to go to Uganda.

It was then that I also knew I needed to do something that was outside of myself.

After the concert, I went straight to the sponsorship table and signed up to help one of their children who needed school fees.

I choose a girl.

Her name was Nakibuuka Deborah.

I met Deborah a few years later, in 2006. I didn't know my heart could love so much.

I met her again in Dec of 2007 when I volunteered in GBI's library.

And ever since our initial meeting, I think about her all the time. I pray for her and truly love her as if she was my own child.

Since I have been here though, I had not seen her...that is, until today.

I was in the GBI library this afternoon, the very same library I had volunteered in back in 2007, and I heard a small voice ask if Lena was there...

I assumed it was a student, or staff member, coming to ask one of their usual questions when from around the corner came Deborah.

I couldn't believe it! I was so excited!

She has grown up so much from the first time we met back in 06...now she is 15 years old, such a grown up compared to the 8 year old whose picture I choose after the conference!

She hugged me and told me that she had heard around town that I was working at GBI again, and she wanted to come and see how I was doing.

It was so sweet that God linked us together again!

I look forward to spending more time with her...

To finally meeting her grandmother, and sharing a long awaited meal with her once more.

It was a flash back of sorts, one that flashed me back to that concert in 2003...the one that really did change my life...

I thank God, that I will never be the same because of it...

He has changed me for the better, and for that I am eternally grateful!

HCD Alliance

2010-05-20T20:53:00.000+03:00

One partnership that I am really really excited about is with the HCD Alliance. It stands for Holistic Child Development and was started by compassion international. Its aim is to work in collaboration with theological seminaries that have a desire to teach & train up child development workers so they can minister effectively to the communities around them. Currently they only have 2 schools in all of Africa that are a part of the alliance, but GBI will be the third!

We join ranks with schools like Malaysia Baptist, Fuller Seminary and Daystar University. It is an awesome opportunity to work together, in collaboration with believers all over the globe, for one common purpose!

This June (the 2nd-20th), I have been invited to visit Malaysia Baptist Seminary, and get to see hands-on what they are doing and how they are doing it. I can't wait to see what new and exciting things I will learn, and how I can help both Malaysia Baptist and GBI as we continue to train up local leaders for the transformation of the communities around us!

Malaysia...here I come!

Costco snacks

2010-05-17T08:24:00.000+03:00

As a kid I LOVED costco...my mom would go and shop for hours but us kids would just hit up all the sample tables until we officially declared that we had indeed already eaten lunch and desert. It was fun!

So today at the grocery store, I had a first...there was a sample table. I was shocked! Shocked first because they were actually giving things out for free but shocked secondly by what the samples were...

Any guesses???

The samples were wine...

They had plastic cups out and about 10 different wines.

It was hilarious to me that I was drinking wine out of a plastic cup in the middle of the grocery store...but hey...when in Rome!

Grocery Store Munchies

2010-05-14T02:48:00.002+03:00

Most of us have done it at some point in our lives...

You are in the store and you get really hungry or really thirsty and so you grab for your favorite snack food, have a little gulp and a little bite while you finish up your shopping...when you get to the front to checkout you happily hand over your half eaten, half empty container to the cash register and happily go about your day...A little more satisfied then when you came in.

So a few days ago, I decided to do a bunch of errands, some of which took me into Kampala.

I usually do most of my shopping on my road, which consist of smaller "mom and pop" stores but since I was in town, I went to one of the bigger supermarkets...It's like any states side Ralphs or Vons...

So In I go...shopping away with my little handheld cart...I fill it to the brim and head to the checkout counter. As the checker was checking me out, two of my items didn't show up in her computer so she finished ringing up my other things, charged me, and then sent her bagger to go do a price check.

As I stood at the end of the counter, bags in hand, the checker started ringing up the people behind me and let me say...I learned a whole new thing about grocery store munchies!

The guy directly behind me was a married guy with a kid. He had a large cart full of household items (with baby food and diapers included) and his "munchie of choice"...a can of Guinness! haha! I didn't even know you could do that in public! But as the checker, scanned his half open, half empty can of beer, she didn't even think twice about handing it back to him as he finished and paid, can in hand.

At this point I was thinking..."hummm" I wonder if this is NORMAL munching behavior...when directly after this guy, was another shopper, carrying some snack food and his half opened, half empty beverage of choice...a can of tusker!

Once again, the checker scanned his open can of beer and handed it back to the man, who continued to enjoy his beer in the check out line of the grocery store.

At this point, the bagger had returned with my price check items, and I left the store, thinking to myself...I am never going to question whether it is appropriate to open a bottle of water in this grocery store again...! I also thought to my self that it must take a lot of courage to open up your favorite alcoholic beverage in the middle of your Saturday afternoon grocery shopping trip!

I must admit...I learn new culturally appropriate things almost every day!

For His Glory...not ours

2010-05-11T20:42:00.002+03:00

I find that the prosperity gospel is alive and well all over the world...

You hear people say that positive thinking is the answer...if you think positively everything in your life will go well...

You also hear people say that if you a christian all good things will happen to you...that God is just waiting to bless you with wealth and prosperity...

Today I heard someone say that God's will is to grant all you all of your goals and desires...

I find those theologies hard to swallow but I know they are not new ideas...after all, it was Job's friends who also believed the same things...Job's friends believed that Job must have sinned to deserve all of the suffering he incurred...

BUT in reality, Job found FAVOR in God's eyes...God's plan and will is not to grant our desires, our goals, or our dreams...His will and plan is to bring GLORY to Himself.

He created us for HIS glory, and it is often our sufferings, and our weaknesses that bring him the most glory.

So often we think that the world revolves around us and so it's common to think that God's plans must also revolve around us. The truth is, God doesn't NEED us...He laid the foundation of the world, He knows all the stars in the sky by name and knows every plan he has for us.

The truth is, we are put on this earth to bring Glory TO Him, not to be glorified BY Him with fancy cars, big bank accounts and the power of positive thinking...

If we truly believe that to be true, then we are missing the true story of the bible...It's all about JESUS...not all about US!

Refrigerator Surprises...

2010-05-08T19:56:00.001+03:00

I don't know if I have ever blogged about Alema or not BUT she is WONDERFUL!

Alema works for me at my house on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and works at my neighbors place on Monday and Thursday...

She is a great help to me...hand washing all my clothes, scrubbing mud off my shoes, ironing, dusting, mopping, and all those domestic duties that seem to take 8 times longer here than in the US.

So twice a week I come home to a nice clean place and then there are Mondays and Thursdays...on those days, I don't come home to a freshly cleaned place but I usually find some goodies in my refrigerator...Alema usually comes over sometime during the day and puts an avocado or some jack fruit there for me to munch on when I get home from work.

I love it! Its a great reminder that I am loved and cared for!

In addition to being a great reminder, it is humbling to me at the same time. See, while Alema is employed 4 days a week, she still only makes about $20 a week...that's about $80 a month.

With this $80 she not only supports herself, but her daughter as well. They live in the slums of Gaba and still, she manages to bring me goodies...Her generosity amazes me and humbles me constantly.

I pray that someday I will be able to be as loving, giving, and caring as Alema. She is a real life example to me of the widow who joyfully gave, not out of her wealth but out of her poverty.

DISGUSTED

2010-05-06T18:58:00.003+03:00

(per my friend Tracy, this post needs a warning...Use your own judgement in whether or not you want to read this as it contains sensitive material on the sexual abuse of children.)

Today I can honestly say I was DISGUSTED!

I have been known to use the word disgusting before to describe bugs and vomit…but today I realized the depravity that comes with the word disgusting.

Literally, I was so disgusted that I felt like vomiting and when I think of it now, 5 hours later, it invokes the exact say sense in me again.

As part of my job, it is my responsibility to go through the books we have acquired for our child development program and create course outlines, descriptions and core text books that will be used for each class.

Now when I heard the word child development initially I thought of theorists like Piaget, Vygotski and the like…but now, as I plan our courses and the content, I don’t think child development is really the right word for our program. I think our program should really be called the Children at Risk Program.

Topics we include are:

Holistic Ministry to Children

Understanding Children at Risk

Ministry to Street Children

Children and Armed Violence

Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Children

Crisis Counseling

Child Evangelism and Discipleship

Mentoring and Listening to Children

Issues and Potential of the Girl Child

Global Perspectives on Youth

Children and the Church

HIV and other childhood health risks

Etc…

I think you get the point…Definitely not your typical “Child Development” Course.

So in the 4 hours I spent in the library today, I made it through the first 2 shelves of the 9 shelves that we have on child development. My goal was to really look at the books. Their descriptions, the content they contained, and see which books would be beneficial to have as class sets and required course readers.

As I did, I came across books with content that I am so very familiar with. Sadly, I have become a little numb to it actually…as I read about children who are slaves, children who have been forced into war, children who live in utter poverty and despair…but today I came across a book that literally made me want to puke…and it contained a subject that I had never imagined could happen…even in the worst and wildest of dreams.

It was a book about Africa, and the different types of sexual abuse that occur here, and all over the globe….As I opened the book, which was probably about 300 – 350 pages long, I stumbled across the chapter about the rape of infants. Their were reports of 5 month olds and 8 month old babies who were raped, and who had to undergo surgery of their internal organs because of the brutal attacks. Some of the babies died as the result of the attacks, simply because the damage to their internal organs was too great to repair.

It was disgusting…and a reminder that sin and our fallen world is disgusting. It gave me a deeper image of the depravity and grossness that earth has become as people push themselves further and further away from God.

The idea that God does allow sin right now, and the fact that he is holding back the fullness of it makes me even more disgusted…I can’t imagine how much more gross and vile our society would be if God didn’t protect us from the maximum damage of sin and depravity.

Grossness like infant rape makes me look forward to the new heaven and the new earth. To a place where people won’t have to bury their 5 month old babies because they were literally raped to death. It makes me feel like the martyrs in the book of revelation who sit in their white robes under the throne of God and ask “how long Lord, how long”….

And yes…It’s disgusting…

Designed by God

2010-05-05T07:51:00.001+03:00

This morning I was thinking about the job God has called me to do here and really, this may sound like a cliche...it was designed by Him, just for me!

I think it is really cool that God knew before He laid out the foundations of the earth what He wanted me to do here and that He has brought situations and different training and educational opportunities into my life to train me specifically for the job He called me to do.

As I was thinking about work, and the ways that I was trained for the job before I even knew I wanted it...it made me think of how sovereign God is and how ignorant I am.

After all, most of my life, I thought I was learning things for my own benefit, not for God's...

So this is how God has prepared me...I think its cool to think about...

1. At GBI, I have to conceptualize what a building will look like before its there and plan for the space...When I was a kid, I learned how to conceptualize buildings that weren't there as we built our own house. I enjoyed drafting as a teenager/young adult and significantly developed my conceptualization skills doing that as well.

2. At GBI, I have to draw up plans for buildings and how furniture will be laid out and exactly how much furniture will fit into any given space. During drafting classes, I learned how to draw plans, I actually have an associates degree in mechanical drafting (yes I know its not the same as architectural drafting, but it is still very helpful). I also had a concentration in math when I got my bachelor's degree...very helpful when trying to calculate furniture sizes and classroom spaces.

3. At GBI, I oversee the library, the wrapping of books, cataloging, etc...On my 2nd short term trip to Uganda, I was asked to work mostly in the library...I learned how it operated and how to do most things in there before I even knew I would oversee it someday.

4. At GBI, I am in charge of writing and developing the new child development curriculum for our diploma program. In college, I got a master's degree that I didn't really want...a masters in curriculum and instruction. I then went on to get the master's I did want...a master's in early childhood education...both are perfect for this job. The first one taught me how to write and develop the curriculum while the second one gave me a handle on the content to base the curriculum on. And I just thought I was taking classes to get a raise at LAUSD...silly me.

5. At GBI, I am in charge of revising major documents, and helping schedule courses...I have to know what documents are needed in a college, know how course schedules need to be set up, and what documents need to look like, etc...this is very easy for me...being that I spent 10 years as a college student...

6. At GBI, one of my side jobs is networking with local NGOs and getting them on board with what we are doing...basically creating partnerships. When I was in college, I spent a year as the president of a club on campus...it gave me leadership principles I needed to talk to people and share the vision of where our club was going...the same principles I used then, are the ones I use now, to network and share the vision of GBI.

7. At GBI, I am in charge of new purchases for our school...especially books. As a kid, I LOVED books. Now I get to read up on books, determine good books and purchase them for everyone here to have access too...Honestly, I am not going to have time to read them all, but they are all books that I would love to read someday.

I am sure there are more ways, but I think that gives you a pretty good picture of just how, from childhood, God prepared me for Uganda!

I love having a job specifically tailored to me and I am glad I followed God in His leading, otherwise I would still be in the US, thinking I wasted 10 years in college because more than half of my education wasn't being utilized in my elementary teaching career!

Big City Living...

2010-05-02T18:37:00.001+03:00

I have to say, I heard one of the funniest things the other day...

A friend of mine is on a short term trip coming to Kampala in July and he asked his team leader where they were going to be staying, the team leader told him they were staying in the one and only hotel in the city...

At this I laughed out loud...

This is for all those people out there, who like my friend, may have heard that Kampala is a rural bush town and are scared to come visit me for fear of being eaten by lions or being kicked by a giraffe...

Introducing Kampala, Uganda...

Its big city living all the way...any takers now?!

Standing Still or Moving on?

2010-04-30T18:23:00.000+03:00

It’s weird for me to imagine that life is moving on without me back in the US…

While it is no surprise to me that it is, it is also strange to think about that the life I knew in America will never again be the same…

When I go back to visit…

My church will have a new pastor

And new people I have never met before will be members

A friend will have passed away,

While others will have moved far away…and I'm not talking another state far, I'm talking another country far…

Some single friends will be married

Some childless friends, will have children.

Homes and jobs will have changed

And my brothers will have girlfriends

Relatives will have died

Health plans will have been revamped

And new policies will have been set in place

Diet fads will be different

And TV shows I have never heard of will be popular

And to think…these are just some of the changes that have happened in the last year…I can’t imagine what changes will have taken place by 2012! Just another reminder, that earth is not really my permanent home.

Pot Holes?

2010-04-26T18:13:00.001+03:00

When I lived in the US pot holes were not very common, and if they did show up they were usually small and fixed within a week…

Not the case here…In fact what we term “pot holes” really doesn’t do Ugandan pot holes justice…I was thinking about it today and how I could describe these road hazards…

And after much thought, the best way I thought to describe them is that our pot holes are more like bomb shelters…If you jumped in a pulled a board over you, you could probably survive for weeks…some of them are even big enough to house small families…so when I say my car could be swallowed by one…I am being literal, not melodramatic…

That being said, I came across a dozie of a pot hole today…it was so big that all the cars opted to hop the curb and drive on the sidewalk rather than try and navigate their way through the crater…

It made me smile, and really made me think just how boring driving is going to be if I ever end up driving in LA again…seriously…not even downtown LA compares to this!

On a related note…If guys love extreme sports (such as off-roading) so much, why don’t more guys want to move to Uganda?! Cause seriously…it has become an every day sport for me…and if I don’t say so myself, I am getting pretty good at it!