Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving was the first one that I have not spent with my family, the first one where there was no turkey consumed, and while it was different, my African Thanksgiving was a good one. I woke up and watched the 4 chickens, that we would later on consume that evening, get slaughtered. Interesting. While there was no watching of the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade or sadly any Football, there was still an incredible feast. All the interns that have been staying at Arise Africa got together with the missionaries there for a great meal. We had Chicken Luambo (a traditional dish only served to the highest guests of honors, it consists of chicken/onions/tomatoes/carrots prepared in banana leaves), green beans, sweet potato casserole complete with jumbo pink marshmallows, mashed potatoes, rolls, corn dogs (voting this becomes a part of the traditional meal from now on, just because!), and of course CRANBERRY SAUCE (not as good as home, but it was there and it was tasty). For dessert we had apple pie, ice cream and mango crumble. All in all, even without the turkey, I was exhausted and full when the meal was over. True to tradition we all ate ‘til we were sick! It was a great day.

There are many times when I get frustrated over the preferential treatment that I and others receive simply because our skin color is white. However, this week, I am grateful for it. Nick and Tiffany were involved in an accident this week. Nick was driving and a boda boda driver (motorcycle) came right out in front of them without looking. Nick hit him and the man came up onto the hood of the car, cracking the windshield and then fell to the ground. The man quickly got up and was taken to the hospital where he was bandaged but then quickly took off (its speculated that he probably didn’t have a license and would get in big trouble if the police caught him.) If Nick would have been anything but white, he would have spent this entire week in jail. In Uganda you are guilty until proven innocent. If he had killed the man, even though it wasn’t his fault, and he was any color other than white, he would have been killed on the spot. Ugandan street justice. We will know hopefully by Monday if everything is resolved and if Nick is free from any further actions needing to be taken. It looks like everything is going to work out, but this particular instance, it paid to be Muzungu.

In the same breath, this week I have been very embarrassed about being white due to CHOGUM (Commonwealth Heads of Government). It is a huge conference going on in the capital city and the Queen of England and the royal family is here in Uganda. There are rumors that some will be coming to Jinja tomorrow, but no one really knows what is going on. At first glance, one would think that this kind of international attention would be great for the economy of Uganda. Many roads were repaired in anticipation of the queen’s coming and a general “clean-up” began happening all over the country. It wasn’t until this week that I became aware of what they were cleaning up. Many Ugandans make their livelihood by selling food on the street or with small kiosks (stores) that line the roads. Because of CHOGUM, they have been told that they cannot sell their food on the streets and many officials have come through and destroyed the kiosks without giving compensation to the owners, all because this sort of thing looks “trashy” and reflects poorly on Ugandan’s image. They are worried about the impression they will make on their foreign visitors. All Ugandans have to carry their I.D. on them at all times throughout CHOGUM. If found without it, they face immediate jail time. The things that Jinja are known for, Bujagali Falls and the Source of the Nile, are off limits to all Ugandans during this time. Only foreigners are allowed. In efforts to show-off Uganda, they have eliminated what makes Uganda, Uganda. They have put the locals out of business. Taxi drivers aren’t allowed in the main city because it would be too congested. The man who was born with polio, yet has created for himself a living by performing at Bujagali, is out of work this week on the off chance that some dignitary will come and visit. When talking to the locals, CHOGUM is viewed as a cuss word and the result of everyone being out of work, they blame that on the Whites. So the Queen won’t have to face the reality of how the local people live, the Ugandan government has cleared the locals out of the way. For the first time since I have been here, I was told to go home. I was actually told to go the ‘F’ home and while the woman was drunk at 2 in the afternoon, I get her sentiment.

What is so bad about the truth? What would be so awful about getting a glimpse of reality? Would it be too hard to see? Too difficult? And why would it be that way? Maybe because intrinsically we know that something is desperately wrong with the way we live in excess while others go without, and yet we don’t know how to change, or want to change, or think that any change would make any type of difference. So we put those who have nothing but their food stands to support themselves, out of work, so that we can feel better when we tour the country. Never seeing the truth and therefore not believing that there is really something terribly wrong with the place.

While Africa is filled with problems and trials and setbacks, there is a strength here that is unparalled to any other place that I have visited. They will find a way to make it. To survive. And while they desperately need help, they do not need our sympathy or our charity. They are a proud people and they have every right to be. They need to learn how to become self-sufficient. They need to learn business and trade that will generate income. They need help getting started, but then they need to be set free to make it theirs and to realize that they can make it on their own.

I am in love with this place, this people. I am taking from Africa way more than I could ever give her. While I was not lost in coming here, I have found myself becoming more of who I was intended to be all along. While I was not blind, I find myself seeing with different eyes. Africa was exactly what my soul had been craving and desiring. I wanted more than mere Christianity. I wanted to step out of the boat and see if I had the faith to walk on the water. I wanted to love people in a radical way. I wanted to go deeper than I have ever been before. I did. I have. And I did.

While Africa is and always will be special to me, there is nothing magical in and of this place alone. God met me here simply because I was ready to be met by Him. He showed me new things simply because I was finally at a place where I could see them.
There have been crazy days here but my life did not become crazy. There have been incredibly busy days and yet my soul never became rushed or frantic. It has taken almost three months, but my life has finally taken on a slower, more peaceful pace, and I am beyond grateful to Africa for that.