I Am HOME!

I am home.
It feels good. It feels right. I have missed my family and friends. I have missed my bed. My time in Uganda was just right. As I attempt to sum up my experiences, I wanted to attempt to answer some of the questions that I have been asked since being back…

What was the craziest thing you ate?
Termites and Grasshoppers. My preference would definitely be the Grasshoppers. Very salty.

How was the food?
Excellent. I didn’t really miss American food (except for sushi). It was so good in fact that I actually gained weight in Africa. Yes, it is true…when you see me next, I will be a whole pound heavier…Big adjustment!

What are you not going to miss?
Doing laundry by hand. Breathing in dust. Being surrounded by such incredible need all the time. Being elevated to celebrity status simply because my skin was white.

What do you miss the most?
The people. They were truly some of the most gracious, loving, accepting, welcoming people I have ever met. I was constantly told to greet all the people I love back home and to tell you all that you are welcome…so: Greetings to you from Uganda. You are most welcome to come and visit anytime. They would love to have you! I miss the beautiful kids. I miss walking in the door and hearing “Mommy Rachel! Mommy Rachel!” and having 35 toddlers crawling all over me. I miss little Mercy and her sassy little 2 year old tantrums. I miss Zechariah (age 4) asking me to read him the Bible. (“Mommy Rachel…I want to read the Bible.”). I miss tickling William (the manager at Welcome Home). I miss tickling, dancing and laughing with the mommies. I miss learning with people of Victory Christian Center and having the honor of teaching them.
I miss the pace of life in Africa. I was incredibly busy while I was there and yet never felt hurried. I like that there you take time to greet people and that you make plans with the understanding that something might happen (no transport, rain, an obstinate cow) to change the plans and you just deal with it.
I will miss the weather. I got very spoiled with the high temperatures and sunshine every day. I have “enjoyed” my first snow fall of the season this past weekend…so much so that I actually got my car stuck in my driveway, how you ask? Oh, that would be because I refused to shovel it and foolishly thought that my little corolla could drive over a few inches of snow and ice! Yes…I miss the warm weather.

Are you wanting to go back?
Long Term? No. I know that I have been called here and that was affirmed and reaffirmed during my time in Uganda. To visit? Absolutely! I have found a home amongst the people of Jinja, Uganda and look forward to holding the babies and being with my sisters and brothers there again sometime soon.

What did you learn? What was your biggest take-away?
The biggest thing that I learned was to simply be. If I had wanted to, I had the opportunity to speak at a different church every Sunday, teach at multiple fellowships in the evenings, do 2-3 VBS programs during the day, and do hospital/prison ministry. While the opportunities were endless I was able to have peace with saying no, often times opting to hold a baby instead and coming to realize that it all is ministry. It all pleases the Lord as long as the heart is in the right place. Being upfront, speaking and teaching did not validate my time there, and while I was happy to do those things occasionally I was able to do them in healthy moderation. Often times, I found that the greater thing for me to do during my time there was to change diapers, do data entry, or read books to the kids. I loved the freedom that came with simply being.

My friend gifted me with the new Sara Groves CD when I got home. The lyrics to I Saw What I Saw do an amazing job of capturing my heart and feelings about my time in Uganda…

I saw what I saw and I can’t forget it
(A Grandma trying to raise 19 grandchildren being evicted from her home and having no where to go)
I heard what I heard and I can’t go back
(The songs of the village choirs, the kids singing and dancing. Their laughter.)
I know what I know and I can’t deny it
(There are people who need to know that they haven’t been forgotten, that someone sees their need and cares. There are people who need to know they are loved.)
Something along the road cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me
(Telling Diana that Juliana had passed away. Holding her hand and crying with her.)
Your dream inspires
(William building a house for his family of 5 by selling paper necklaces.)
Your face a memory
(Watching Mercy’s eyes light up when I entered the room)
Your hope a fire
(Pastor Timothy having a vision for the Island schools, seeing something better for them and their future)
Your courage asks me what I’m afraid of and what I know of love
What I am made of
What I’m afraid of and what I know of love
And what I know of God

We’ve done what we’ve done and we can’t erase it
We are what we are and its more than enough
We have what we have but its no substitution
Something down the road cut me to the soul

I say what I say with no hesitation
(Africa does not need our sympathy or charity, She needs our support)
I have what I have but I’m giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
Something along the road cut me to the soul

I am humbled that the Lord continues to take the energy to teach me and show me new things. I am grateful that He isn’t through with me yet and allows me to go deeper and experience more. I am not content with the status quo, I do not want to hug the wall, I do not want my decisions to be motivated by fear…I want to live this life that He has given me. I want to be challenged with what I see and experience. I want more. I went to Africa to see Him in the faces of the people that I met. I saw Him as I held Juliana. I met Him in the hospital as I prayed for a man who had been paralyzed by a boda boda accident. I fed Him. I clothed Him. I visited Him. I cried with Him. I laughed with Him. I met Him in Uganda. This trip was absolutely everything that I needed it to be and more. The stories and lessons from my time in Uganda are endless. Months from now I am sure that new insights will come and new lessons will be learned. I am embracing this time of transition, this time of learning, this time of reflection. I am honored that I have had the opportunity to go and love and serve the people of Uganda. I am forever changed.